• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.859-862
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• 2015

In view of funding crunches and inadequate manpower in cytology in developing countries like India, single lifetime screening for cervical cancer has been suggested. In this study, an attempt was made to cscreening to make it more effective for early detection. Cytological data were derived from the ongoing routine cervical cytology screening program for women attending Gynaecology Out Patient Department of Queen Mary's Hospital of K.G.Medical University, Lucknow, India during a span of 35 years (April 1971 - December 2005). Cervical smears in a total of 38,256 women were cytologically evaluated. The frequencies of squamous intraepithelial lesions of cervix (SIL) and carcinoma cervix were found to be 7.0% and 0.6%, respectively, in the series. Predisposing factors related to cervical carcinogenesis were analyzed in detail to establish the most vulnerable groups of women for single life time screening. The incidence of SIL and carcinoma cervix was found to be maximal in women above the age of 40 years irrespective of parity and in multiparous women (with three or more children) irrespective of age. The incidence of cervical cytopathologies was significantly higher in symptomatic women, the frequency of SIL being alarmingly higher in women complaining of contact bleeding and that of carcinoma cervix in older women with postmenopausal bleeding. It is consequently felt that single life time screening must include the three groups of women delineated above. Such selective screening appears to be the most economical, cost effective and feasible approach to affordably control the menace of cervical cancer in developing countries like India.

• Journal of Advanced Navigation Technology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.533-540
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• 2014

We propose an age estimation-based smart digital signage for the next-generation airport service. The proposed system can recognize the face of the customer so that it can display the selective information. Using a webcam, the system captures the face of the customer and estimates the age of the customer by calculating the wrinkle density of the face and applying bayesian classifier. The developed age estimation method is tested with a face database for the performance evaluation. We expect the new digital signage may improve the satisfaction of customers of the airport business.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.25-33
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• 2012

The association of verotoxic E. coli and Acinetobacter spp. with various antibiotic-resistant, diarrhogenic, and nosocomial infections has been a cause for concern worldwide. E. coli and A. haemolyticus isolated on a number of selective media were screened for virulence factors, antibiotic resistance, and transformation of resistance genes. Out of 69 E. coli isolates obtained, 25 (35.23%), 14 (20.30%), and 28 (40.58%) were positive for Vtx1&2, Vtx1, and Vtx2, respectively, 49 (71.015%) for extendedspectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), 34 (49.28%) for serum resistance, 57 (82.61%) for cell surface hydrophobicity, 48 (69.57%) for gelatinase production, and 37 (53.62%) for hemolysin production. For the 14 A. haemolyticus isolates, only 2 (14.29%) in each case from all the samples investigated were positive for Vtx1, Vtx2 and Vtx1&2 respectively, 8 (57.14%) for ESBLs, 7 (50.00%) for serum resistance, 11 (78.57%) for cell surface hydrophobicity, 4 (28.57%) for gelatinase production, and 8 (57.14%) for hemolysin production. Although transformation occurred among the E. coli and Acinetobacter isolates (transformation frequency: $13.3{\times}10^{-7}-53.4^{-7}$), there was poor curing of the plasmid genes, a confirmation of the presence of stable antibiotic-resistant genes (DNA concentration between 42.7 and 123.8 ${\mu}g$) and intragenetic transfer of multidrug-resistant genes among the isolates. The isolates were potentially virulent and contained potentially transferable antibiotic resistance genes. Detection of virulence factors, antibiotic resistance genes, and transformation among these isolates is a very significant outcome that will influence approaches to proactive preventive and control measures and future investigations. However, continued surveillance for drug resistance among these bacteria and further investigation of the mechanism of action of their virulence factors are a necessity.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.323-335
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• 2009

A successful experience of lymphatic filariasis control in the Republic of Korea is briefly reviewed. Filariasis in the Republic of Korea was exclusively caused by infection with Brugia malayi. Over the past several decades from the 1950s to 2006, many investigators exerted their efforts to detection, treatment, and follow-up of filariasis patients in endemic areas, and to control filariasis. Mass, combined with selective, treatments with diethylcarbamazine to microfilaria positive persons had been made them free from microfilaremia and contributed to significant decrease of the microfilarial density in previously endemic areas. Significant decrease of microfilaria positive cases in an area influenced eventually to the endemicity of filariasis in the relevant locality. Together with remarkable economic growth followed by improvement of environmental and personal hygiene and living standards, the factors stated above have contributed to blocking the transmission cycle of B. malayi and led to disappearance of this mosquito-borne ancient disease in the Republic of Korea.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2009

Objectives : South Korea has experienced unprecedented ups and downs in the sex ratio at birth(SRB), which has been a unique phenomenon in the last two decades. However, little is known about socioeconomic factors that influence the SRB. Employing the diffusion theory by Rogers, this study was undertaken to examine the trends in social variations in the SRB from 1981 to 2004 in Korea. Methods : The data was taken from Vital Birth Statistics for the period from 1981-2004. We computed the annual male proportion of live births according to the parental education(university, middle/high school, primary) and occupation(non-manual, manual, others). Logistic regression analysis was employed to estimate the odds ratios of male birth according to social position for the equidistant three time periods(1981-1984, 1991-1994, and 2001-2004). Results : An increased SRB was detected among parents with higher social position before the mid 1980s. Since then, however, a greater SRB was found for the less educated and manual jobholders. The inverse social gradient for the SRB was most prominent in early 1990s, but the gap has narrowed since the late 1990s. The mother's socioeconomic position could be a sensitive indicator of the social variations in the sex ratio at birth. Conclusions : Changes in the relationship of parental social position with the SRB were detected during the 1980-2004 in Korea. This Korean experience may well be explained by diffusion theory, suggesting there have been socioeconomic differences in the adoption and spread of sex-detection technology.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.250-257
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• 2008

Microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSR) are widely distributed in eukaryotic genomes and are informative genetic markers. Despite many advantages of SSR markers such as a high degree of allelic polymorphisms, co-dominant inheritance, multi-allelism, and genome-wide coverage in various plant species, they also have shortcomings such as low polymorphic rates between genetically close lines, especially in Capsicum annuum. We developed an alternative technique to SSR by normalizing and alternating anchored primers in random amplified microsatellite polymorphisms (RAMP). This technique, designated reverse random amplified microsatellite polymorphism (rRAMP), allows the detection of nucleotide variation in the 3' region flanking an SSR using normalized anchored and random primer combinations. The reproducibility and frequency of polymorphic loci in rRAMP was vigorously enhanced by translocation of the 5' anchor of repeat sequences to the 3' end position and selective use of moderate arbitrary primers. In our study, the PCR banding pattern of rRAMP was highly dependent on the frequency of repeat motifs and primer combinations with random primers. Linkage analysis showed that rRAMP markers were well scattered on an intra-specific pepper map. Based on these results, we suggest that this technique is useful for studying genetic diversity, molecular fingerprinting, and rapidly constructing molecular maps for diverse plant species.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.611-615
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• 1995

The design of appropriate chemically modified electrodes should allow development of new voltammetric measurement schemes with enhanced selectivity and sensitivity. Microorganism like algae has high ability to trap toxic and heavy metal ions and different affinities for metal ions. A copper(II) ion-selective carbon paste electrode was constructed by incorporating alga Anabaena into a conventional carbon paste mixture, and then the film of 10% Nafion was coated to avoid the swelling of the electrode surface. Copper ion could be deposited at the 25% algamodified electrode for 15 min without the applied potential while stirring the solution by only immersing the electrode in a buffer (pH 4.0) cot1taining copper(II). Temperature was controlled at $35^{\circ}C$. After preconcentration was carried out the electrode was transferred to a 0.1 M potassium chloride solution and was reduced at -0.6 volt at $25^{\circ}C$. The differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry was employed. A well-defined oxidation peak could be obtained at -0.1 volt (vs SCE). In five deposition / measurement / regeneration cycles, the responses were reproducible and relative standard deviations were 3.3% for $8.0{\times}10^{-4}M$ copper(II). Calibration curve for copper was linear over the range from $2.0{\times}10^{-4}M$ to $1.0{\times}10^{-3}M$. The detection limit was $7.5{\times}10^{-5}M$. Studies of the effect of diverse ions showed that the coexisting metal ions had little or no effect for the determination of copper. But anions such as cyanide. oxalate and EDTA seriously interfered.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2011

Undoped and Sb-doped $SnO_2$ nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning and their responses to $H_2$, CO, $CH_4$, $C_3H_8$, and $C_2H_5OH$ were measured. In the undoped $SnO_2$ nanofibers, the gas response ($R_a/R_g$, $R_a$: resistance in air, $R_g$: resistance in gas) to 100 ppm $C_2H_5OH$ was very high(33.9), while that to the other gases ranged from 1.6 to 2.2. By doping with 2.65 wt% Sb, the response to 100 ppm $C_2H_5OH$ was decreased to 4.5, whereas the response to $H_2$ was increased to 3.0. This demonstrates the possibility of detecting a high $H_2$ concentration with minimum interference from $C_2H_5OH$ and the potential to control the gas selectivity by Sb doping.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.9-20
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• 2014

Making good predictions about the outcome of one's actions would seem to be essential in the context of social interaction and decision-making. This paper proposes a computational model for learning articulated motion patterns for action recognition, which mimics biological-inspired visual perception processing of human brain. Developed model of cortical architecture for the unsupervised learning of motion sequence, builds upon neurophysiological knowledge about the cortical sites such as IT, MT, STS and specific neuronal representation which contribute to articulated motion perception. Experiments show how the model automatically selects significant motion patterns as well as meaningful static snapshot categories from continuous video input. Such key poses correspond to articulated postures which are utilized in probing the trained network to impose implied motion perception from static views. We also present how sequence selective representations are learned in STS by fusing snapshot and motion input and how learned feedback connections enable making predictions about future input sequence. Network simulations demonstrate the computational capacity of the proposed model for motion recognition.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.1153-1159
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• 2013

A novel solid-contact indium(III)-selective sensor based on bis-(1H-benzimidazole-5-methoxy-2-[(4-methoxy-3, 5-dimethyl-1-pyridinyl) 2-methyl]) thiosulfinate, known as an omeprazole dimer (OD) and a neutral ionophore, was constructed, and its performance characteristics were evaluated. The sensor was prepared by applying a membrane cocktail containing the ionophore to a graphite rod pre-coated with polyethylene dioxythiophene (PEDOT) conducting polymer as the ion-to-electron transducer. The membrane contained 3.6% OD, 2.3% oleic acid (OA) and 62% dioctyl phthalate (DOP) as the solvent mediator in PVC and produced a good potentiometric response to indium(III) ions with a Nernstian slope of 19.09 mV/decade. The constructed sensor possessed a linear concentration range from $3{\times}10^{-7}$ to $1{\times}10^{-2}$ M and a lower detection limit (LDL) of $1{\times}10^{-7}$ M indium(III) over a pH range of 4.0-7.0. It also displayed a fast response time and good selectivity for indium(III) over several other ions. The sensor can be used for longer than three months without any considerable divergence in potential. The sensor was utilized for direct and flow injection potentiometric (FIP) determination of indium(III) in alloys. The parameters that control the flow injection method were optimized. Indium(III) was quantitatively recovered, and the results agreed with those obtained using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, as confirmed by the f and t values. The sensor was also utilized as an indicator electrode for the potentiometric titration of fluoride in the presence of chloride, bromide, iodide and thiocyanate ions using indium(III) nitrate as the titrant.