• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.124-133
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• 2014

Purpose: The current study was designed for development of a simplified malnutrition screening tool (SMST) for hospitalized patients using readily available laboratory and patient information and for evaluation of its reliability compared to well-established tools, such as PGSGA and NRS-2002. Methods: Anthropometric and biochemical measurements, as well as a few subjective assessments, of 903 patients who were preclassified by their nutritional status according to PGSGA were analyzed. Among them, a combination of factors, including age, BMI, albumin, cholesterol, total protein, hematocrit, and changes in body weight and food intake, were statistically selected as variables for SMST. Results: According to SMST, 620 patients (68.7%) were classified as the normal group and 283 patients (31.3%) were classified as the malnutrition group. Significant differences in age, albumin, TLC, BMI, hemoglobin, hematocrit, total protein, cholesterol, and length of stay were observed between the two groups. For inter-methods reliability, the screening results by SMST were compared with those by PGSGA and NRS-2002. The comparison with PGSGA and NRS-2002 showed 'Substantial agreement' (sensitivity 94.4%, specificity 88.4%, ${\kappa}$ = 0.747) and 'Moderate agreement' (sensitivity 96.1%, specificity 79.5%, ${\kappa}$ = 0.505), respectively, indicating that SMST held high inter-methods reliability. Conclusion: In conclusion, SMST, based on readily available laboratory and patient information and simple subjective assessments on changes in food intake and body weight, may be a useful alternative tool with a simple but reliable risk index, especially in resource-limited domestic hospitals.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7825-7829
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• 2015

Background: Egypt has the highest prevalence of HCV infection in the world (~14.7%). Around 10-15% of HCV-infected persons will advance to cirrhosis within the first 20 years. The incidence of HCC is expected to grow in the next two decades, largely due to HCV related cirrhosis, and detection of HCC at an early stage is critical for a favorable clinical outcome. No simple reliable non-invasive marker has been available till now. B2M, a non-glycosylated polypeptide composed of 99 amino acids, is one of the components of HLA class I molecules on the surfaces of all nucleated cells. It has been reported that the level of serum B2M is elevated in patients with chronic hepatitis C and HCV-related HCC when compared to HCV-negative patients or healthy donors. Determining the clinical utility of serum B2M as a marker for disease progression in Egyptian patients with HCV related chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma was the aim of the present study. Materials and Methods: In this analytical cross sectional study 92 participants were included in 4 equal groups: Group (1) non cirrhotic chronic HCV; Group (2) HCV related liver cirrhosis; Group (3) HCC on top of HCV,; and Group (4) healthy controls. History taking, clinical examination, routine labs and abdominal ultrasound were conducted for all patients, PCR and Metavir scores for group (1) patients, and triphasic CT abdomen and AFP for Group (3) patients. B2M levels were measured in serum with a fully-automated IMX system. Results: The mean serum B2M level of Group (1) was $4.25{\pm}1.48{\mu}g/ml$., Group (2) was $7.48{\pm}3.04$, Group (3) was $6.62{\pm}2.49$ and Group (4) was $1.62{\pm}0.63$. Serum B2M levels were significantly higher in diseased than control group (p<0.01) being significantly higher in cirrhosis ($7.48{\pm}3.04$) and HCC groups ($6.62{\pm}2.49$) than the HCV group ($4.25{\pm}1.48$) (p<0.01). There was a significant correlation between B2M Level and ALK, total and direct bilirubin and INR (p<0.05), and a significant inverse correlation between B2M level and albumin, total proteins, HB andWBCS values (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between B2M level and viral load or Metavir score, largest tumour size or AFP (p>0.05). The best B2M cut-off for HCV diagnosis was 2.6 with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 92%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 97% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%. The best B2M cut-off for HCC diagnosis was 4.55 which yielded sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive values of 74%, 62%, 39.5, 87.8% respectively (p-value <0.01) while best cut-off for cirrhosis was 4.9, with sensitivity 74 % and specificity 74%.The sensitivity for HCC diagnosis increased upon B2M and AFP combined estimation to 91%, specificity to 79%, NPV to 95% and accuracy to 83%. Conclusions: Serum B2M level is elevated in HCV related chronic liver diseases and may be used as a marker for HCV disease progression towards cirrhosis and carcinoma.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.109-121
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• 1992

For the purpose of mineralogical and chemical study on the topazes from various localities of world(Brzail, China, India, Nigeria and Sri Lanka), electron microprobe analysis(EPMA), neutron activation analysis(NAA), X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectroscopy, etch test, scanning electron microscopy, refractive index, specific gravity, fluid inclusion were performed. The chemical composition in topaz was discussed along with its physical and structural properties. Variations in the unit-cell dimension and physical properties of topaz were found to have a close relations in the unit-cell dimension and physical properties of topaz were found to have a close relationship with extent of substitution of $OH^-\;for\;F^-$. According to neutron activation analyses, the trace elements had no effects on the physical properties of topaz. Raman spectra showed that the peaks of topaz were different in intensity from one locality to another. Etching defects in topaz includes negative crystal defect o point-bottom pit(India, Nigeria) and net work defect of curl-bottom pit(Brazil, China). Fluid inclusions in topaz may be classiffied into liquid $CO_2$-bearing inclusion, gaseous inclusion, halite, sylvite-bearing inclusion and liquid inclusion. The results of this study can be useful to devising artificial coloring methods for topaz with different mineralogical compositions.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.211-218
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• 1988

Data on egg number from time of first lay to 71 week of age were obtained from samples of single comb white leghorn breeder and brown layer breeder populations which were raised at manny breeding Co. These data were used to estimate the heritabilities of age at sexual maturity, early egg number, residual egg number and annual egg number. Also, the genetic correlation coefficients between these traits were estimated and selection efficiencies of each segment in early part record were estimated by use of the heritabilities and generic correlations. The estimated heritabilities and standard errors in two lines(W and B) were $0.30\pm0.07$ and $0.33\pm0.08$ at early records, $0.19\pm0.06$ and $0.18\pm$0.05 at residual records and $0.37\pm0.09$ and $0.49\pm0.10$ at time of first lay. Those at annual records were $0.24\pm0.06$ equally. The estimated correlation coefficients and standard errors between early record and annual record were $0.76\pm0.08$ and $0.77\pm0.07$. Those between early record and residual record were $0.46\pm0.15$ and $0.39\pm0.16$ respectively. At improving annual egg production per year, selection based on early part record(SM to 40 week of age) would be 69% more efficient than on annual record in line W and 80% more efficient than on annual record in line B. But, if it were considered that egg weight decreased due to sexual maturity and cost for data collection, use of selected segment from 35~40week of age in line W and from 31~40 week of age in line B would be desired in spite of a. small loss in relative selection efficiency. The generation interval would not be shortened.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.12-23
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• 1979

This experiment was carrid out to investigate the interaction between boilelr strains and nutrition levels, and the performances of four broiler strains such as Han Hyup 603, Hubbard, Anak and Filch when they were fed by four different nutrition levels (High Protein and energy; HP. HE., Medium Protein and energy; MP. ME., Low Protein ana energy; LP. LE., and low protein and energy; LLP. LLE.). The data used in this study were obtained from a total of 1200 broiler type chicks in Poultry Testing Station, Korean Poultry Association from June 16, to August 11, 1978. Differences of all characters among four nutrition levels were significant except viability and carcass rate. HP. HE and MP. ME treatments showed nearly the same performances in body weight, feed efficiency and point, spread but they were significantly superior to those of LP. LE and LLP. LLE. There were not significant differences among four strains in feed efficiency and viability but other characters, body weight, point spread and carcass rate were observed that the performance of the best strain B was significantly superior to strain D but it was not recognized significance compared with strain A, C in tile result of statisticel analysis. In the interaction between strains and nutrition levels, body weight at high and levels showed significantly differences but at low and low nutrition levels were nearly same among four strains. Therefore this study demonstrated that comparision of body weights between strains should be performed at medium nutrition level or above. Also point spread calculated as index of body weight and feed efficiency was observed that strain B at low nutrition level is excellently higher than other strains and there were little differences at low nutrition level among all strains. It was found that ]it tie differences between performances of high arid medium levels seemed to be as the reason of high fat addition for energy source to high mutrition feed, and in general superior strain showed good performance at all the nutrition levels in$.$all characters but in body weight and point spread there were significantly different responses with different nutrition level, The most superior strain B among four strains earned the most profit per bird, Although performances of high and medium nutrition levels were nearly the same, medium nutrition level also showed the most profit because the feed cost of high nutrition level was higher than that of medium nutrition level.

• The Journal of the Petrological Society of Korea
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• v.11 no.3_4
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• pp.234-249
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• 2002

The Miwon-Boeun area in the central and northern part of Okcheon metamorphic zone, Korea, is composed of Okcheon Supergroup and Mesozoic Cheongju and Boeun granitoids which intruded it. The Okcheon Supergroup consists mainly of quartzite (Midongsan Formation), meta-calcareous rocks (Daehyangsan Formation, Hwajeonri Formation), meta-psammitic rocks (Unkyori Formation), meta-politic rocks (Munjuri Formation), meta-conglomeratic rocks (Hwanggangni Formation) in the study area, showing a zonal distribution of NE trend. Its' general trend is locally changed into NS to EW trend in and around high-angle fault of NS or NW trend. This study focused on deformation history of the Okcheon Supergroup, suggesting that the geological structure was formed at least by four phases of deformation. (1) The first phase of deformation occurred under ductile shear deformation of top-to-the southeast movement, forming sheath fold or A-type fold, asymmetric isoclinal fold, NW-SE trending stretching lineation. (2) The second phase of deformation took place under compression of NW-SE direction, forming subhorizontal, tight upright fold of M trend in the earlier phase, and formed semi-brittle thrust fault (Guryongsan Thrust Fault) of top-to-the southeast movement and associated snake-head fold in the later phase. (3) The third phase of deformation formed subhorizontal, open recumbent fold through gravitational or extensional collapses which might be generated from crustal thickening and gravitational instability. (4) The fourth phase of deformation formed moderately plunging, steeply inclined kink fold related to high-angle faulting, being closely connected with the local change of NE-trending regional foliation into NS to EW direction of strike in the vicinity of the high-angle fault.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.323-334
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• 1996

Male Mongolian gerbils $(60{\sim}80g)$ were given DL-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO; 250mg/kg, ip) and methylglyoxal bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG; 50 mg/k, ip), respectively, 1 h prior to transient (7 min) occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries (OBC7) and a daily dose of one of them for 6 days after recirculation, and the polyamine contents, activities of ornithine and S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylases (ODC and SAM-DC), and light microscopic findings of the hippocampus were evaluated. The hippocampal putrescine (PT) levels of the control gerbils treated with saline (STGr), markedly increased after OBC7, showing a peak level at 24 h after recirculation. The peak PT level was reduced in DFMO treated gerbils (DTCr) and in MGBG treated gerbils (MTGr). And 7 days after recirculation, the PT level of DTGr was decreased to about 75% of the PT level in the sham operated group (nonTGr) and to about 55% of the STGr level, respectively. The hippocampal spermidine (SD) level of STGr tended to decline, showing the lowest value at 8 h after recirculation. But the spermidine (SD) level of DTGr was somewhat higher at 8 h after OBC7 than those of STGr and MTGr The hippocampal spermine (SM) levels of all the experimental groups were little changed for 7 days after OBC. OBC7 markedly increased the hippocampal ODC activity. reaching a maximum (about 3 times higher than preischemic level) at 8 h and rapidly recovered to the control value by 24 h in STGr gerbils, and the OBC7-induced increase of ODC activity was significantly attenuated by DFMO or MGBG treatment. Whereas OBC7 induced a rapid decrease of the hippocampal SAMDC activity follwed by gradual recovery to the preischemic level, and the decrease of the SAMDC activity was slightly attenuated by DFMO or MGBG treatment. 7 Days after OBC7 the histological finding of the hippocampal complex stained with cresyl violet showed an extensive delayed neuronal damage in the CA1 region and to a lesser extent, in the dentate gyrus, sparing the CA3 region. And the neuronal death was aggevated by DFMO but significantly attenuated by MGBG. The immunochemical reactivity of hippocampus to anti-GFAP antibody was significantly increased in the CA1 region and to a lesser extent, in the dentate gyrus 7 days after OBC7, but was little changed in the CA3. And the increase of the anti-GFAP immunoreactivity was moderately enhanced by DFMO and significantly suppressed by MGBG. These results suggest that the polyamine metabolism may play a modulatory role in the ischemic brain damage.