• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.281-291
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• 2020

This study used Gauss-Poisson jump diffusion process on standard assets to estimate the statutory reserves of Variable Annuity (VA) guarantees specified in Korean bylaw of insurance supervision and calculated guarantee fees and risks based on the model to see the effect of considering the jumps. Financial assets, except KOSPI 200, have fat-tailed return distributions, which is an indirect evidence of discontinuous jumps. In the case of a domestic stock index and foreign stock indexes(Korean Won), guarantee fees and risks decrease when jumps are considered in models of underlying assets. This is explained by decreases in standard deviations after the jump diffusion is considered. On the other hand, in the case of domestic bond indexes and a foreign bond index(Korean Won), guarantee fees and risks tend to increase when jumps are considered. Results from a foreign stock index(US Dollar) and a foreign bond index(US Dollar) were opposite to those from the same kinds of Korean Won indexes. We conclude that VA guarantee fees and risks may be under or over estimated when jumps are not considered in models of underlying assets.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2549-2554
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• 2016

Background: Early detection remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control in terms of outcome and survival. Thus far the only breast cancer screening method proven effective is mammography. The awareness of female health care workers (HCW) about breast cancer prevention is of vital importance, as their beliefs and behavior may have a major impact on other women. This study was designed to assess mammography screening uptake among female healthcare workers at primary healthcare centers, and to identify the primary motivators and barriers that affect uptake results. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study design was used to assess mammography screening by 299 female healthcare workers who completed a self-administered questionnaire that assessed demographics, screening uptake, motivators and barriers. Results: The mean age was 46 years (within age of risk). The majority (95.1%) demonstrated adequate knowledge about breast cancer and mammography screening and 50% of the participants reported having at least one mammogram; however only 21% of them had regularly scheduled mammograms. The most frequent reported motivator was the perceived benefit that early detection of breast cancer is important for its management (89.6%), followed by the belief that mammography can detect breast cancer before its symptoms appear (84.4%). On the other hand, the most frequent barrier reported was being busy (46.7%), followed by the lack of perceived susceptibility (41.5%). Conclusions: Mammography screening was found to be sub-optimal in a population of HCW's with 50 % stating that they received a mammogram at least once, and a minority reported regular screening. There is a pressing need for educational programs aimed at removing the barriers that limit compliance with recommendations for mammography screening, and to emphasize the importance of early detection in breast cancer treatment. Ensuring the availability and accessibility of screening services, particularly for healthcare workers within their work settings are other important factors that would improve the acceptance and compliance for mammography screening programs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.4769-4774
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• 2016

Objective: To analyze the survival of elderly patients with breast cancer according to the type of treatment used. Methods: A cohort study of women aged 80 or over with breast cancer registered with the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (Instituto Nacional do $C{\hat{a}}ncer$ - INCA) between 2008 and 2009 was conducted. Prognosis was analyzed according to the cancer treatment performed: surgery, radiotherapy, or hormone therapy. Analysis of the overall 5-year survival rate was performed using the Kaplan - Meier method, and comparisons of curves were undertaken using the log-rank test. For multiple regression analysis, Cox regression was used, adjusting for age and clinical stage, considering values of p < 0.05 as significant. Data were all analyzed using the statistical package SPSS version 20. Results: 70 women with a mean age of $84.0{\pm}3.7years$ at diagnosis participated in the study. The median follow-up time was 37.1 months (range 0.5-75.5), and 31 deaths (44.3%) occurred during this time. The median survival time was 51.2 months (95% CI, 44.9-57.4), higher in those who underwent surgery (p = 0.012) and those who had hormone therapy (p=0.001). Treatment with surgery reduced the risk of death by 61.7% (HR 0.3; 95% CI, 0.1-0.6; p = 0.001) when adjusted for clinical stage and age at diagnosis. However, there was no significant benefit from radiotherapy (HR 1.2; 95% CI, 0.5-2.5; p = 0.694). Conclusion: Treatment with surgery and hormone therapy increased the survival of our Brazilian patients with breast cancer aged 80 or over.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.259-265
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• 2018

Since Korean housewives are responsible for the dietary practices of family at home, it is important to know what information will make them to buy safe food. This study was designed to determine the role of perceived threats, behavioral assessments, and self-efficacy factors known to promote healthy behavior in health belief models (HBM) based on food safety awareness and behavior of housewives. This study involved 191 housewives, based on key variables such as perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and purchase behavior. The results showed that higher levels of education and urbanization increased the threat perception and the likelihood of buying safe food. The correlation analysis showed that increased awareness and knowledge of safe foods and interest in health contributed to higher relative benefit or self-efficiency of food, and thus, ensured food safety. The conceptual model of food safety behavior based on the HBM was verified via structural equation analysis. The findings suggest that a suitable model showcasing knowledge levels and relative benefits resulted in a greater impact on purchasing behavior than perceived threats. This study suggests that it is more effective for housewives to provide more preventive information than risk information to purchase safe food.

• The Korean Journal of Applied Statistics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.643-661
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• 2015

Korea Teachers Pension (private school pension) is a mandatory pension and a social security system for private school teachers to ensure the stability of subscribers by a supplying pension when they (and their dependents) face future economic risk due to retirement or death. Therefore, the Teachers Pension must provide stability and sustainability in regards to adequacy of income and to function as a pension. However, the Government Employees Pension System (GEPS) of Korea (the most representative special occupation pension) recorded a fiscal deficit in 2001 and with an accumulated deficit that is expected to grow; subsequently, various plans for the reform of GEPS have been actively discussed. The Korea Teachers Pension system is based on the GEPS scheme and is not free from the GEPS discussions on reforms of national pension. The current system for the Teachers Pension needs to be improved because it is expected to be depleted within the next 30 years due to low fertility and an aging population in Korea. This study discusses existing Teachers Pension schemes problems and suggests a projection method and revised plans to improve it. We use long-term financial projections of the Teachers Pension to estimate the fund exhaustion point and the minus balance of the financial scale as well as analyze the supply-demand burden structure that reflects the future population structure to propose Teachers Pension reforms that will improve stability and adequacy.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.41 no.spc1
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• pp.25-45
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• 1996

Soyfoods have potential roles in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases, most notably cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease. There is evidence that carcinogenesis are supressed by isolated soybean derived products in vivo such as a protease inhibitor, phytic acid, saponins and isoflavones. It is believed that supplementation of human diets with soybean products markedly reduces human cancer mortality rates. Especially, recent papers recognize the potential benefit of soybean isoflavone components for reducing the risk of various cancers. Isoflavones exhibit a multitude of medicinal effects that influence cell growth and regulation, which may have potential value in the prevention and treatment of cancer. In addition to potential biological effects, soybean isoflavones have the important physiological functions such as the induction of Bradyrizobium japonicum nod genes and the responses of soybean tissues to infection by Phytophthora megasperma as well as biochemical activities such as antifungal and antibacterial actions. Genistin, daidzin, glycitin and their aglycone (genistein, daidzein, glycitein) are the principal isoflavones found in soybean. Malonyl and acetyl forms have also been detected but they are thermally unstable and are usually transformed during the processing in glucoside form. Most soy products, with the exception of soy sauce, alcohol-extracted soy protein concentrate, and soy protein isolate, have total isoflavone concentrations similar to those in the whole soybean. Soybean-containing diets inhibit mammary tumorigenesis in animal models of breast cancer, therefore, it is possible that dietary isoflavones are an important factor accounting for the lower incidence and mortality from breast cancer. Of the total soybean seed isoflavones, $80\~90\%$ were located in cotyledons, with the remainder in the hypocotyls. The hypocotyls had a higher concentrations of isoflavones on a weight basis compared with cotyledons. Isoflavone contents were influenced by genetics, crop years, and growth locations. The effect of crop year had a greater impact on the isoflavone contents than that of location. The climate condition might be the attribution factor to variation in isoflavone contents. Also, while the isoflavone content of cotyledons exhibited large variations in response to high temperature during seed development, hypocotyls showed high concentration in isoflavone content. So, it is concluded that one of the factors affecting isoflavone content in soybean seeds is temperature during seed development. High temperature, especially in maturity stage, causes lower isoflavone content in soybean seed. It is also suggested that there may exist a different mechanism to maintain isoflavone contents between cotyledon and seed hypocotyls. In a conclusion, soy foods may be able to have a significant beneficial impact on public health.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.105-115
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• 2005

Purpose: The lymph node status assessed by conventional histological examination is the most important prognostic factor in patients undergoing surgery for oral squamous cell carcinoma. The presence of lymph node metastasis has a strong adverse impact on patient survival even after extended radical resection. Despite these findings, tumour recurrence is not rare after surgery, even when histological examination shows no lymph node metastasis. Recently, molecular-genetically and immunohistochemically demonstrated micrometastasis to the lymph nodes has been shown to have a significant adverse influence on survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma and histologically negative nodes. The present study sought to determine the incidence and clarify the clinical significance of molecular-genetically and immunohistochemically demonstrated nodal micrometastases and to correlate these data with the stage of oral cancer. Methods: Lymph nodes systematically removed from 71 patients who underwent curative resection between 1998 and 2003 with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma were examined molecular-genetically to detect cytokeratin 5 mRNA with RT-PCR and immunohistochemically to detect cells that stained positively for cytokeratins with the monoclonal antibody cocktail AE1/AE3. The postoperative course and survival rates were compared among patients with and without micrometastases, after numerical classification of overt metastatic nodes. Results: micrometastases were detected in 43(60%) of 71 patients by RT-PCR and 26(36%) of 71 patients by immunohistochemistry. By RT-PCR analysis, patients exhibiting a positive band for CK 5 mRNA had a significantly worse prognosis than those were RT-PCR negative. By immunohistochemistry, the presence of micrometastasis did not predict patient outcome. Conclusion: Micrometastases detected by RT-PCR may be of clinical value in identifying patients who may be at high risk for recurrence and who are therefore likely to benefit from systemic adjuvant therapy.

• Proceedings of the Korean Environmental Health Society Conference
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• 2005.12a
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• pp.4-15
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• 2005

Methylmercury (MeHg) is an environmental pollutant with neurotoxic effects on the central nervous system. The major exposure route of MeHg to humans is via consumption of fish and shellfish which accumulate the chemical through the food web in an aquatic environment. Hair mercury level is an excellent marker for MeHg exposure. We have been conducting a survey on hair mercury contents among general populations from 14 districts to estimate the current Japanese MeHg exposure level. Total mercury levels of all hair samples collected (12923 in total) were analyzed by the oxygen combustion-gold amalgamation method using an atomic absorption mercury detector. Multiple regression analysis revealed that mercury levels were significantly correlated with several covariates, such as sex, age, the amount of daily intake of total fish/shellfish, a preference for certain fish such as tuna or bonito, and artificial waving. The geometric means for the population without artificial waving were 2.47 and 1.65 ${\mu}g/g$ for males (n = 5623) and females (n = 3470), respectively. Hair mercury levels varied with age, and the variations were more significant in males. Since the difference between sexes was not evident at younger ages, some hormonal control might also be involved in the mercury uptake by human hair. The average mercury levels in our hair samples varied among the sampling districts. Tuna is a major carnivorous fish with high mercury accumulations that is often consumed in Japan. The amount of fish consumption and the preference rate far tuna would appear to be responsible far the regional variation in hair mercury levels in Japan. Recently, a provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of MeHg was revised by 61st JECFA to 1.6 ${\mu}g/kg/week$, which was about half that of the Japanese standard, and corresponded to a hair level of 2.2 ppm. The distribution of hair mercury levels in Japanese populations in the present study indicated that 25% of the Japanese females of child-bearing age were estimated to be exposed to MeHg over the PTWI level. This would reflect the high Japanese consumption of marine products. However, not only mercury contamination, but also the nutritional benefit may have to be considered when discussing the risk involved in the current level of fish and shellfish consumption in Japan.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.353-359
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• 2005

Objectives: Dysphagia is a common in stroke patients. Dysphagia often affects the rehabilitation of stroke patients by increasing the risk of nutritional deficits and aspiration pneumonia. Despite the proliferation of physical therapies including swallowing training, much controversy remains regarding the application and benefit of them. Therefore, in this study, the clinical effect of moxibustion at Chonjung(CV17, Shanzhong) on post-stroke dysphagia were assessed using Swallowing Provocation Test(SPT). Methods: Dysphagia subjects were selected by Dysphagia Screening Test. Swallowing function was tested by Swallowing Provocation Test(sec). Direct moxibustion was applied to the acupoint, Chonjung, five times and Swallowing Provocation Test was performed before and after 30 minute. The Latency Time of Swallowing Reflex (LTSR) was checked by SPT. To find factors related with improving swallowing function, Cold-Heat and Excess-Deficiency Diagnosis were considered. Results: A total of 42 patient were included, but two of them were excluded due to severe coughing. Overall, the swallowing reflex improved significantly. In subgroup analysis on brain lesion, non-brain stem lesion patients significantly improved. Moxibustion was more effective in the cold group than in the heat group, but there were no differences between the Excess and the Deficiency groups. Conclusions: The result of this clinical study suggest that moxibustion at Chonjung(CV17, Shanzhong) is an effective treatment for the dysphagia patients after stroke, especially in non-brain stem lesion and the cold diagnosed patients.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.23-49
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• 2007

Recently, mobile marketing is becoming one of the major topics of interest to the marketing discipline. Emerging from rapid developments in mobile technology, it has created opportunities for new and innovative mobile services. Also, it is enabling to conduct always-on connections that consumers can interact anytime and anywhere. Especially, mobile devices place themselves to the core means of mobile-commerce which to execute a function as a distribution channel in mobile environments. Although the adoption researches about innovative services or technologies had executed in marketing areas over the past decades, most researches just expanded or modified existing theories and explanation models. There has been little study on the comprehensive and systematic review of adoption process. Therefore, it deserves to be considered prior usage experiences of the existing channels(CL) and attractiveness of the new channel(CLalt) based on social exchange theory. In order to address this void, this study unifies components of perceived attributes in the each dimensions (ie. benefit, cost, and risk dimensions) and explores prior usage experiences of the existing channels on adoption intention in electronic financial service channels through developing comprehensive model and employing empirical test for the hierarchy of effects model. Based on these empirical results, this study suggests managerial implications for new channel management in electronic financial service areas by focusing on the prior usage experiences of the existing objects on adoption intention and perceived attributes of ubiquitous-based mobile service channel.