• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.246-255
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• 2024

Knowledge of the superficial radial nerve (SRN) relationship and anatomic variations of the first extensor compartment (1st EC) will contribute to a better outcome of de Quervain tenosynovitis treatment. We dissected 87 embalmed cadaveric wrists to determine the relationship of the SRN, the 1st EC length, distance from the proximal and distal 1st EC borders to radial styloid process (RSP), abductor pollicis longus (APL) and extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) tendon slip numbers, and the presence of septum. Our results revealed SRN crossing over the 1st EC in 59.5%. The lateral branch of the superficial radial nerve to the 1st EC midline in most cases (61.9%) except for one specimen, where lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve was the closest. Distances from proximal and distal 1st EC borders to the RSP were 19.7±4.1 mm and 7.6±1.8 mm, respectively. Extensor retinaculum (ER) width over 1st EC (1st EC length) was 14.8±3.2 mm. Complete and incomplete septa were found in 17.2%, and 42.5%, respectively. The most frequent APL tendon slip number in the compartment was two in overall 47 specimens (54.0%). Almost all compartments (85 specimens; 97.7%) contained one EPB tendon slip. We detected bilateral EPB absence in one cadaver. Moreover, we recorded a tendon slip from extensor pollicis longus traveling into 1st EC bilaterally in one cadaver and observed the EPB muscle belly extension into 1st EC in 9 wrists. Awareness of 1st EC anatomic variations would be essential for successful surgical and nonsurgical outcomes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.3349-3355
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• 2012

Background and objectives: Chromosomal abnormalities play an important role in genesis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and have prognostic implications. Five major risk stratifying fusion genes in ALL are BCR-ABL, MLL-AF4, ETV6-RUNX11, E2A-PBX1 and SIL-TAL1. This work aimed to detect common chromosomal translocations and associated fusion oncogenes in adult ALL patients and study their relationship with clinical features and treatment outcome. Methods: We studied fusion oncogenes in 104 adult ALL patients using RT-PCR and interphase-FISH at diagnosis and their association with clinical characteristics and treatment outcome. Results: Five most common fusion genes i.e. BCR-ABL (t 9; 22), TCF3-PBX1 (t 1; 19), ETV6-RUNX1 (t 12; 21), MLL-AF4 (t 4; 11) and SIL-TAL1 (Del 1p32) were found in 82/104 (79%) patients. TCF3-PBX1 fusion gene was associated with lymphadenopathy, SIL-TAL1 positive patients had frequent organomegaly and usually presented with a platelets count of less than $50{\times}10^9/l$. Survival of patients with fusion gene ETV6-RUNX1 was better when compared to patients harboring other genes. MLL-AF4 and BCR-ABL positivity characterized a subset of adult ALL patients with aggressive clinical behaviour and a poor outcome. Conclusions: This is the first study from Pakistan which investigated the frequency of5 fusion oncogenes in adult ALL patients, and their association with clinical features, treatment response and outcome. Frequencies of some of the oncogenes were different from those reported elsewhere and they appear to be associated with distinct clinical characteristics and treatment outcome. This information will help in the prognostic stratification and risk adapted management of adult ALL patients.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.21-28
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• 2012

While recent economic stagnation has left consumers dispirited, rapid growth has been seen in the domestic coffee industry recently. With the growth in coffee consumption, a tremendous increase in the number of specialty coffee shops has been seen in the domestic coffee market. The expectation that markets specializing in coffee will continue to grow for a long time will cause existing enterprises to expand their shops and increase the rate of entry of new shops. Intense competition in the domestic coffee market will force companies to create a competitive advantage through differentiated marketing strategies. This paper focuses on how the shopping value and repatronage intention of customers using coffee shops is affected by service quality. Moreover, this paper intends to examine the service quality that is critical for the successful management of relationships and the values that are important to consumers. For these purposes, the discriminative effect of service quality on shopping value was analyzed and the effect of utilitarian and hedonic value on repatronage intention was reviewed. The results of this study are detailed below. First, interaction and outcome quality can positively affect the hedonic value, whereas environment quality is not meaningful for utilitarian value. Considering the relative effect on utilitarian value outcome, the effect of outcome quality is greater than that of interaction. This result shows that the role of outcome quality is most important for improving utilitarian value. Second, outcome and environment quality positively affect hedonic value; however, interaction quality does not meaningfully increase hedonic value. These results indicate that customers recognize hedonic value on the basis of their evaluation of the service outcomes and the background to delivery service. In particular, it was revealed that the relative effect of outcome quality on hedonic value is greater than that of environment quality. Third, both utilitarian value and hedonic value had a positive effect on repatronage intention. The relative influence of the hedonic value is that the shopping value affects the repatronage intention more than the utilitarian value. These results mean that customers recognize coffee shops as spaces for satisfying utilitarian and hedonic values, and they place more importance on the benefits of the emotional experience than functional needs. Finally, this study suggests that output quality is more important than other service factors, and the results of this paper give some implications to the coffee shop industry that customers seek utilitarian needs based on economic value and place more weight on hedonic value, such as that offered by relationship media.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.203-214
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• 2001

Maternal stress was very common symptom that every pregnant women could have experienced during pregnant period. We found that the causative factors of stress for subjects were physical change(50.8%), family relationship(13.6%), change of body image(7.4%), concern baby(6.8%), economic difficulties(6.4%), depress(4.3%), morning sickness(3%), and miscellaneous(3.5%). According to our study, maternal stress during the first trimester negatively correlated with food and nutrients intake of pregnant women and gave low weight gain during pregnancy and low birth weight of infants. It also significantly correlated with monthly income(p<0.001) and monthly food cost(p<0.001) during pregnant period. Mean intake of Calcium and Iron were $47{\sim}60%$ of RDA and $35{\sim}48$ of RDA, respectively. With the Iron supplement the total intake of Iron exceeded 100% of RDA. We also found majority of food items, except seaweeds, fruits and vegetables, were negatively correlated with maternal stress during three trimesters. Additional support system projected by professionals in health-care field could mediate maternal stress and lead to healthy pregnancy outcome.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.3895-3899
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• 2014

C4.4A, a metastasis-associated gene, encodes a glycolipid-anchored membrane protein which is overexpressed in several human malignancies. However, there are few data available on C4.4A expression and its relationship with progression in gastric cancer. Our study was designed to explore the expression of C4.4A in gastric cancer and to correlate it with clinical outcome. C4.4A expression was studied by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry for assessment of correlations with clinicopathological factors. C4.4A mRNA expression was significantly up-regulated in gastric cancer as compared with noncancerous tissue (p<0.05)., being observed in 107 (88.4%) of the 121 gastric cancer cases by immunohistochemistry. We found that the expression of C4.4A mRNA was correlated with size of the tumor, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and TNM stage. Moreover, patients with overexpression of C4.4A has a significantly worse survival (p<0.05). Further multivariable analysis indicated that the expression of C4.4A was an independent prognostic indicator for gastric cancer (p<0.05). In conclusion, overexpression of C4.4A correlates with metastatic potential of gastric cancer and C4.4A could be a novel independent prognostic marker for predicting outcome.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.261-267
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• 2012

Purpose: The relationship between thymidylate synthase (TS) expression and outcomes in gastric cancer (GC) patients remains controversial, although most studies reported poor survival and reduced response to fluoropyrimidine were related to high TS in tumors. We carried out a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis to estimate the predictive value of TS expression from published studies. Methods: We indentified 24 studies analysing the outcome data in gastric cancer stratified by TS expression. Effect measures of outcome were hazard ratios (HRs) for overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS), or the odds ratio (OR) for overall response rate (ORR). HRs and ORs from these eligible studies were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis. Results: Fifteen studies investigated outcomes in a total of 844 patients with advanced GC, and nine studies investigated outcomes in a total of 1,235 patients with localized GC undergoing adjuvant therapy. Meta-analysis of estimates showed high TS expression was significantly associated with poor OS in the advanced setting (HR: 1.43, 95%CI: 1.08 - 1.90), and poor EFS in the adjuvant setting (HR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.01 - 2.32). Subgroup analysis demonstrated TS expression to haves even greater value in predicting OS, EFS and ORR in advanced GC patients treated with fluoropyrimidine monotherapy (HR for OS: 2.32, 95%CI: 1.53 - 3.50; HR for EFS: 1.76, 95%CI: 1.19 - 2.60; OR for ORR: 0.32, 95%CI: 0.11 - 0.95). Conclusion: High levels of TS expression were asssociated with a poorer OS for advanced GC patients compared with low levels. In the adjuvant setting, high TS expression was also associated with a worse EFS. Additional studies with consistent methodology are needed to define the precise predictive value of TS.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.33-55
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• 2007

Parties to national or international disputes use arbitration because they think it is faster than litigation or affords privacy. But it is very important for the parties that the decision of arbitrators is made impartially and independently. For the parties to accept the outcome of an arbitration, it is essential that the final outcome be the result of an impartial process, especially because arbitration is a form of adjudication, albeit a private one. The success of arbitration resides in the conduct of arbitrators. The more independent and impartial arbitrators are, the more trustworthy arbitration will be. Just as court procedures allow for the recusal of judges under certain circumstances, the arbitral process provides means to remove arbitrators from a tribunal if arbitrator can no longer be considered impartial or independent. This is blown as the disqualification or challenge of arbitrators. An arbitrator can also be challenged when he or she does not fulfill the contactually agreed and stipulated qualifications required by the arbitral agreement. An arbitrator's inability to act impartially could give rise to a challenge to the arbitrator, and even to the award. However, deciding whether an interest or relationship could give rise to an apprehension of bias is a difficult issue for every arbitrator. The standard of arbitrator's impartiality and independence is not commensurable to that of judge, because the parties are permitted considerable autonomy in selecting arbitrators. Particularly it may be expected for the party-appointed arbitrator to act as the advocate of the party in the deliberations of the tribunal. Doubts that could give rise to a challenge to the arbitrator should be justifiable. That is the case if a reasonable, informed third party would conclude that the arbitrator's decision making might be influenced by factors other than evidence presented by the parties. Consequently, for example, the mere fact that an arbitrator was to work in the same firm as one of the parties' counsel, this could not automatically be considered as grounds for challenge for lack of impartiality.

• Journal of Korean Society for Quality Management
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.351-374
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• 2018

Purpose: The collective civil complaint problem is considered as important obstructive factor of the nuclear power plant construction project's success and quality. Therefore, this study demonstrate the factors which can affect the settling collective civil complaints, and also suggest the improvement of the resolution. Methods: This study collected the data of Kori Nuclear Power Division staff, local residents and Hanul Nuclear Power Division staff, local residents, and use them for analysis. Results: The results are twofold in the study: First, the 'Situation Recognition' and 'Mutual Cooperation' which are independent variables for solving collective civil complaints have proved to give positive influence on both the nuclear staff and the local residents about the complaint resolution outcome of the dependent variable. Second, the moderation variable 'Expected Benefit' on the influential relationship between the collective civil complaint resolution factor and the civil complaints resolution outcome proved to have a moderating effect only on the nuclear staff. On the other hand, moderation variables 'Time of SOC Business Implementation' and 'Time of Compensation' proved to have a moderating effect only for the local residents. Conclusion: According to the results, the staff have a positive opinion on the benefits of the nuclear power plant construction, while residents feel strongly that they do not get any benefit from the construction despite of tremendous investment and expected benefit in local area. As this results, policy implementation which is superable different understanding is required.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2015

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between early treatment response to definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and survival outcome in patients with limited stage small cell lung cancer (LS-SCLC). Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 47 patients with LS-SCLC who received definitive CRT between January 2009 and December 2012. Patients were treated with systemic chemotherapy regimen of etoposide/carboplatin (n = 15) or etoposide/cisplatin (n = 32) and concurrent thoracic radiotherapy at a median dose of 54 Gy (range, 46 to 64 Gy). Early treatment volume reduction rate (ETVRR) was defined as the percentage change in gross tumor volume between diagnostic computed tomography (CT) and simulation CT for adaptive RT planning and was used as a parameter for early treatment response. The median dose at adaptive RT planning was 36 Gy (range, 30 to 43 Gy), and adaptive CT was performed in 30 patients (63.8%). Results: With a median follow-up of 27.7 months (range, 5.9 to 75.8 months), the 2-year locoregional progression-free survival (LRPFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 74.2% and 56.5%, respectively. The mean diagnostic and adaptive gross tumor volumes were 117.9 mL (range, 5.9 to 447 mL) and 36.8 mL (range, 0.3 to 230.6 mL), respectively. The median ETVRR was 71.4% (range, 30 to 97.6%) and the ETVRR >45% group showed significantly better OS (p < 0.0001) and LRPFS (p = 0.009) than the other group. Conclusion: ETVRR as a parameter for early treatment response may be a useful prognostic factor to predict treatment outcome in LS-SCLC patients treated with CRT.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2006

Objective : To determine the relationship between the clinical outcome and the extent of surgical laminectomy for adequate decompression on the cases of cauda equina syndrome, the authors review and analyze their cases and compared with those of literatures. Methods : The authors reviewed 655 patients retrospectively who had underwent surgery on the cases of lumbar disc herniation from January 2000 to December 2004. There were 19 patients [2.9%] who presented for clinical cauda equina syndrome. Among them, we selected and analyzed 15 patients who were treated by unilateral partial hemilaminectomy with discectomy or bilateral partial laminectomy with discectomy, and they had been followed from 5 weeks to 47 months postoperatively [mean, 13.47 months]. The levels of the disc herniations were L4-5 in 8 patients, following L5-S1 in 4 patients and 2 levels [L4-5 and L5-S1] in 3 patients. Motor and sensory recoveries were recorded. Postoperative urinary function recovery Was defined according to Gleave and Macfarlane. Results : In 12 months postoperatively, the bladder function was obtained in 14 of 15 patients[93%] with regaining urinary continence. Thirteen of 15 patients[86%] with preoperative motor weakness of lower extremities were recovered. Sensory deficit of lower extremities, perianal and saddle anesthesia were all recovered. Patients had recovered on lumbosciatic pain and saddle hypesthesia, in turn, motor function and urinary incontinence. Conclusion : In treating cauda equina syndrome, the authors did less extensive surgery, such as unilateral partial hemilaminectomy with discectomy or bilateral partial laminectomy with discectomy for adequate decompression. The outcome is satisfactory and comparable with those of subtotal or total laminectomy.