• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.965-971
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• 2016

Aims: To investigate the distribution of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, and explore any relationships with clinical characteristics in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients. Materials and Methods: EGFR mutations were assessed by ADx-ARMS in 261 NSCLC patients from West China Hospital of Sichuan University. Relationships between EGFR mutation and clinical characteristics were analyzed by SPSS. Results: The EGFR mutation rate was 48.7% (127/261), 19-del and L858R mutations occurred predominantly, accounting for 33.1% and 40.9%, respectively, in mutated cases. Moreover, 10.2% patients were found to carry double mutations. EGFR mutations occurred more frequently in women (57.5%) than in men (41.8%) (P=0.01), and were more frequent in non-smokers (61.2%) than in former or current smokers (31.2%) (P<0.00). In addition, they were more common in adenocarcinomas (52.8%) and adenosquamous carcinomas (42.8%) than in squamous cell carcinomas (14.8%) (p<0.00). However, only smoking history and pathological types, rather than gender, proved to be associated with EGFR mutations on multivariate logistic regression analysis. No significant differences in pathological stage and metastasis status were found between EGFR wild-type and mutated cases, although EGFR mutation type was related to pathological type (p=0.00) - 19-del, L858R and other mutation types respectively occurred in 34.2%, 42.5% and 23.3% of adenocarcinomas, but in 14.3%, 0% and 85.7% of non-adenocarcinomas. Conclusions: The EGFR mutation rate was 48.7% in NSCLCs in Southwest China, so that nearly 40% patients might benefit from targeted therapies. Smoking status and pathological types were independent predictors of EGFR mutation, while EGFR mutation type was related to only pathological type, rather than smoking status.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2014

Background: Bankrupted households have recently been increased due to excessive medical expenditure in Korea. They have not been protected from economic risk when household's member has severe diseases that need a lot of money for treatment. Purpose of this study examines policy effect by comparing unmet needs' change of policy object households and non-object groups. Methods: We used Korea Health panel 2nd 4th data collected by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance Service. Analysis subjects were 381 households (pre-policy) and 393 households (post-policy) that had cancer and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Since it was major concern that estimates benefit strengthening policy started by certain time, we setup comparing households which had diabetes, hypertension disease. Comparison subjects were 393,247 households, respectively and we evaluated policy effect using difference in difference (DID) model. Results: Although unmet needs of policy object households were higher than non-object groups, policy execution variable affected negative direction. But interaction-term which shows pure effect of policy was not statistically significant. We utilized multi-DID model to examine factors affecting unmet needs causes. Copayment assistance policy did not significantly affect households that responded to 'economic reason,' and 'no have time to visit' for unmet needs causes. Conclusion: The second copayment assistance policy did not significantly give positive effect to beneficiary households than non-beneficiary groups. When we consider that primary purpose of public insurance guarantee high medical expenditure occurred by unexpected events, it needs to deliberate on switch of benefit strengthening policy that can assist vulnerable people. Also, we suggest that government forward a policy covering non-reimbursable medical expenses as well as switch of benefit strengthening direction because benefit policy do not affect non-covered medical cost which accounts for quarter of total health expenditure.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.715-722
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• 2015

Four major river basin in Korea has been managed with Total Maximum Daily Load(TMDL) System. Water quality indicators as targeted pollutants for TMDL were BOD and TP. In order to satisfy water quality criteria, government allocation using public treatment facilities and its action plan has been used. However, the role to improve water quality were recently faced to its limitation. It is time to require the role of non-government allocation in private discharge facilities to control good water quality. This study investigated three different scenarios in reduction demands of non-government allocations about industry and private sewages. The three different scenarios were discharge under 1) legal water quality standard, 2) water quality level in 2011 and 3) current water quality level with maximum value in group. The results showed that reduction potential in water discharge for TP indicator was 1,118kg/day, under second scenario with 20% of deduction. This results arrived at 42% of whole reduction potential costs and 0.012mg/L improvement in water quality. In conclusion, to intrigue voluntary participation in non-government allocation, various benefits such as tax reduction, tax exemption, and water quality trading should be provided.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3451-3455
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• 2014

Background: The serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level can reflect tumor growth, recurrence and metastasis. It has been reported that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in exons 19 and 21may have an important relationship with tumor cell sensitivity to EGFR-TKI therapy. In this study, we investigated the clinical value of EGFR mutations and serum CEA in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: The presence of mutations in EGFR exons 19 and 21 in the tissue samples of 315 patients with NSCLC was detected with real-time fluorescent PCR technology, while the serum CEA level in cases who had not yet undergone surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted therapy were assessed by electrochemical luminescence. Results: The mutation rates in EGFR exons 19 and 21 were 23.2% and 14.9%, respectively, with the two combined in 3.81%. Measured prior to the start of surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and targeted treatment, serum CEA levels were abnormally high in 54.3% of the patients. In those with a serum CEA level <5 ng/mL, the EGFR mutation rate was 18.8%, while with 5~19 ng/mL and ${\geq}20ng/mL$, the rates were 36.4% and 62.5%. In addition, in the cohort of patients with the CEA level being 20~49 ng/mL, the EGFR mutation rate was 85.7%, while in those with the CEA level ${\geq}50ng/mL$, the EGFR mutation rate was only 20.0%, approximately the same as in cases with the CEA level<5 ng/mL. Conclusions: There is a positive correlation between serum CEA expression level and EGFR mutation status in NSCLC patients, namely the EGFR mutation-positive rate increases as the serum CEA expression level rises within a certain range (${\geq}20ng/mL$, especially 20~49 ng/mL). If patient samples are not suitable for EGFR mutation testing, or cannot be obtained at all, testing serum CEA levels might be a simple and easy screening method. Hence, for the NSCLC patients with high serum CEA level (${\geq}20ng/mL$, especially 20~49 ng/mL), it is worthy of attempting EGFR-TKI treatment, which may achieve better clinical efficacy and quality of life.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.253-275
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• 2011

The aim of this study is to examine the difference of features between poor group and non-poor group. And, it is examined whether there are man and woman's differences. The investigation targeted the person who were using 'Regional self-support center'. They were classified into poor and non-poor group depending on the participation pattern of the self-support programs. Using logistic regression technique, I analyzed the effects of a series of independent variables on the dependent variable of whether or not person is in poor group and then compared the analysis results. The findings and policy implications are as follows. First, it was found that the health condition of women has a significant effect on the likelihood of poverty. Therefore, it is necessary to support appropriate medical service and improvement of health condition to them. Second, the business career of women was one of the factors affecting. Whether the business career is or not, it is necessary to do different support. Third, like what has been known until now, care giving was found to be a heavy burden for woman.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.2987-2990
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• 2013

Background: To explore mRNA expression and clinical significance of ERCC1, BRCA1, RRM1, TYMS and TUBB3 genes in tumor tissue of postoperative patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: Sixty NSCLC patients undergoing radical operation in our hospital from Nov., 2011 to Jun., 2012 were selected. Plasmid standards of ERCC1, BRCA1, RRM1, TYMS and TUBB3 were established and standard curves were prepared by SYBR fluorescent real-time quantitative PCR analysis. Samples from tumor centers were taken to detect mRNA expression of ERCC1, BRCA1, RRM1, TYMS and TUBB3 genes in cancerous tissue during operation. The total mRNA expression quantities were compared according to different clinical characteristics. Results: The total expression quantities of 5 genotypes from high to low were ERCC1>RRM1>TUBB3>TYMS>BRCA1 in turn. By pairwise comparisons, other differences showed statistical significance (p<0.05 or p<0.01) except for TYMS and TUBB3 (p>0.05); the low expression rates from high to low were ERCC1>TYMS>TUBB3>TUBB3>RRM1>BRCA1 in turn. The expression quantities of BRCA1, RRM1 and TYMS in males, smokers and patients without adenocarcinoma were all significantly higher than that in females, non-smokers and patients with adenocarcinoma, and significant differences were present (p<0.05 or p<0.01). In terms of pathological staging, the expression quantities of BRCA1, RRM1 and TYMS in phases IIa~IIb and IIIa~IIIb had a tendency to be greater than in phases I and IV. Conclusions: Resistance to chemotherapy and sensitivity to targeted therapy differ among patients with NSCLC. Differences in gene expression in different individuals were also revealed. Only according to personalized detection results can individualized therapeutic regimens be worked out, which is a new direction for oncotherapy.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.42-54
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• 2021

The purpose of this study is to analyze that ICT-based primary health care affects clinical changes of participants in the primary care chronic disease management pilot project using ICT medical care. Customized health information data, provided by National Health Insurance Service, was used for the analysis. The study targeted a total of 676 people that participated in primary care chronic disease management pilot project using ICT medical care from 2017 to 2018. Hierarchical regression was used to test three model. First, there were many subjects who used face-to-face consultation and non-face-to-face consultation(messaging), but less than half of patients using non-face-to-face consultation(telephone). Second, after participating in the pilot project, the fasting blood sugar level decreased. Third, the clinical condition of the subjects appeared to be an important factor in controlling blood sugar levels. Finally, patients using the non-face-to-face consultation(messaging) had reduced blood sugar levels after participating in the project. This results imply that non-face-to-face consultation is effective in reducing fasting blood sugar level with hospital intervention, and there are effects of the primary care chronic disease management project using ICT.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.105-112
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• 2022

The national defense requires uninterrupted decision-making, even under direct or indirect impacts on non-traditional threats such as infectious diseases. Since all work utilizes the information system, it is very important to ensure the availability of the information system. In particular, in terms of security management, defense work is being performed by dividing the network into a national defense network and a commercial Internet network. This study suggests a work execution plan that takes into account the efficiency of work performed on the Internet and the effectiveness of security through effective defense information system operation. It is necessary to minimize the network contact point between the national defense network and the commercial Internet, and to select a high-priority one among various tasks and operate it efficiently. For this purpose, actual cases were investigated for "A" institution and characteristics were presented. Through the targeted tasks and operation plans to improve the effectiveness of defense tasks and ensure security, presented in this paper, it will be possible to increase the availability of task performance even in non-traditional threats such as infectious diseases.

• Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.129-142
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• 2018

The DEEP-South (the Deep Ecliptic Patrol of the Southern Sky) photometric census of small Solar System bodies produces massive time-series data of variable, transient or moving objects as a by-product. To fully investigate unexplored variable phenomena, we present an application of multi-aperture photometry and FastBit indexing techniques for faster access to a portion of the DEEP-South year-one data. Our new pipeline is designed to perform automated point source detection, robust high-precision photometry and calibration of non-crowded fields which have overlap with previously surveyed areas. In this paper, we show some examples of catalog-based variability searches to find new variable stars and to recover targeted asteroids. We discover 21 new periodic variables with period ranging between 0.1 and 31 days, including four eclipsing binary systems (detached, over-contact, and ellipsoidal variables), one white dwarf/M dwarf pair candidate, and rotating variable stars. We also recover astrometry (< ${\pm}1-2$ arcsec level accuracy) and photometry of two targeted near-earth asteroids, 2006 DZ169 and 1996 SK, along with the small- (~0.12 mag) and relatively large-amplitude (~0.5 mag) variations of their dominant rotational signals in R-band.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5263-5272
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• 2012

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in China. Adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) is a routine auxiliary treatment for GC recommended by the guidelines issued in 2011 by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China, but the relevant credible consequences in China have been insufficient because of China's late start and ethical concerns. Methods: A series of databases, including Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Chinese database of the National Knowledge Infrastructure and the VIP database, were searched by 2 reviewers independently for studies investigating AC for GC through March 2012. The retrieved literature was screened according to the eligibility criteria. Results: A total of 35 randomized control trials (RCTs) were subjected to the final analysis, including 4,043 patients in treatment group and 3,884 in the control group, as well as 4 clinical-control trials (CCTs), which accessed the final analysis with 238 and 252 patients, respectively. AC reduced the risk of death as a protective treatment with statistical significance (HR=0.91, 95%CI: [0.85, 0.97], P=0.002), and it seemed more effective for Asian than non-Asian patients. The effects of AC were not influenced by the starting time (P>0.05). D2 lymphadenectomy-based chemotherapy was effective (HR=0.89, 95%CI: [0.80, 0.99], P=0.04). Oral S-1 40 mg/m2 after D2 lymphadenectomy might be a better choice for Asians with advanced GC and might result in a greater reduction of adverse events than in non-Asian patients. GRADE quality assessment determined that the strength of the evidence from foreign studies from Europe, the United States and Asian countries other than China was high, while it was moderate for Chinese studies. Conclusion: AC was effective or even curative in Chinese patients in general, although it is still necessary to optimize a targeted AC scheme for Chinese patients with GC.