• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2643-2648
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• 2016

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels are lower in Japanese compared with Western subjects. Since it is uncertain whether hsCRP is a potent predictor of mortality at low CRP concentrations, the present study examined associations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a large population of Japanese. Materials and Methods: Subjects were 4,737 men and 6,343 women aged 49-76 years participating in the baseline survey of an ongoing cohort study of lifestyle-related diseases between February 2004 and July 2006. Hazard ratios for all-cause and cause-specific mortality associated with hsCRP levels were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: A total of 436 all-cause deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 8 years. The main cause of death was cancer. In men, hsCRP levels were positively associated with the risk of all-cause mortality as well as deaths from cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). All-cause mortality hazards for the 2nd (0.34-0.84 mg/L) and the 3rd (${\geq}0.85mg/L$) tertiles of hsCRP were 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93-1.73) and 1.75 (1.30-2.37), respectively (p for trend=0.001). In women, increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality associated with elevated hsCRP levels was observed, but the associations were not statistically significant. Conclusions: HsCRP may be an independent predictor of all-cause, cancer and CVD mortality in apparently healthy Japanese men, but not women. The differential effect of hsCRP in predicting mortality risk by sex warrants further investigation.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.129-134
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• 2013

Turner syndrome (TS) is one of the most common chromosomal abnormalities, with an estimated frequency among female live births of 1/2,000-3,000. The syndrome is characterized by the partial or complete absence of one X chromosome (45,X karyotype). We reported a unique case of a 40-year-old woman with TS accompanying unexpected elongated styloid process specific to Eagle syndrome (ES) and followed up-prolactinoma. The present article is the first report to define the cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) features of TS accompanying ES. Patients with TS carry various risks that make treatment more complicated; thus advanced imaging techniques for proper treatment and follow-up are extremely important. In the light of CBCT examination, craniofacial abnormalities specific to TS and accompanying syndromes such as the crowding of teeth especially in the maxillary anterior region caused by maxillary narrowness, micrognatic maxilla and mandible, relative mandibular retrusion, malocclusion, open-bite, and an elongated styloid process (length of 32.7 mm) on the right side were illustrated in detail.

• BMB Reports
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.142-150
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• 2007

Epigenetic alterations, represented by aberrant DNA methylation, are deeply involved in human cancers. In gastric cancers, tumor-suppressor genes are inactivated more frequently by promoter methylation than by mutations. We recently showed that H. pylori infection, a potent gastric carcinogenic factor, induces methylation of specific genes in the gastric mucosae. When the methylation levels were analyzed in the gastric mucosae of healthy volunteers, cases with a single gastric cancer, and cases with multiple gastric cancers, who have increasing levels of risks for gastric cancers, there was a significant increasing trend in the methylation levels among the individuals without current H. pylori infection. This finding unequivocally showed the presence of an epigenetic field for cancerization. The degree of the field defect was measured more conveniently using methylation levels of marker genes than using those of tumor-suppressor genes. The presence of an epigenetic field for cancerization has been indicated for liver, colon, Barrett's esophageal, lung, breast, and renal cancers. Since decreased transcription is involved in the specificity of methylated genes, it is likely that specific genes are methylated according to carcinogenic factors. These findings emphasize the usefulness of DNA methylation as a marker for past exposure to carcinogens and future risk of cancer development.

• The Journal of the Korean dental association
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.27-37
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• 2010

Current trend of aging society suggests that many patients are at risk for various preoperative preparations and postoperative complications during and following invasive dental procedures, due to an acquired medically compromised conditions from systemic disease and/or from medications. The medical history is critical for the identification of patients potentially at risk for medically compromised and old aged patients' factors from dental treatment. The proper dental management requires an understanding of certain principles of pathophysiology for these medical conditions and some standard laboratory tests. Polypharmacy in old age, besides representing a risk in and of itself, points to the potential risk the underlying diseases that necessitated the drugs can present in the dental office. These diseases and medications can also present a risk to oral health. A sequence for categorizing drugs in a medication list is presented here to aid in the identification of potential risks in the dental treatment and management of patients with complex medical histories and drug regimens. Specific patient populations, such as pediatric, may have specific drugs or additional criteria that need to be considered. Practitioners must use the health history and the medication list in concert, using one to make sense of the other and utilizing all the information available from reviewing each one carefully in order to manage their increasingly complex patients safely and effectively.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.174-181
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• 1998

A prospective study was conducted to evaluate the preventive effect of Korean ginseng against cancer in the population residing ginseng cultivation area, Kangwha-eup from August 1987 to December 1997. The participants consisted of 4,553 adults over 40 years old who completed a questionare on ginseng intake. During the surveillance period, 14.4% (656 of 4,553) of subjects had died, cancer accounting for 23.9% (157) of total deaths. The proportional hazard model of Cox was used to estimate relative risks when controlling simultaneously for covariates. Ginseng intakers had a decreased risk (relative risk(RR) =0.48, 95% confidence interval (Cl) : 0.34-0.66) for cancer compared with non-intakers. The RRs of cancer were 0.36 (95% Cl: 0.24-0.56) for multiple combination intakers. Among 24 red ginseng intakers, there were no cancer deaths. The RRs of ginseng intakers were 0.38 (95% Cl: 0.20-0.71) in gastric cancer and 0.29 (95% Cl: 0.15- 0.57) in lung cancer. These findings strongly suggested Korean ginseng have non-organ specific cancer preventive effects against cancer. Further research for clarifying the mechanisms of prevention and clinical trials on Korean ginseng must be conducted with worldwide collaborations

• International Journal of Safety
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.33-36
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• 2006

In laboratories, researchers frequently work using new methods with new tools and materials. So the workers in laboratories are exposed to risk from dangerous articles all the time. In the case of university laboratories, testing is done by the individual at night. Because of that, the risks in university laboratories are higher than in other places. In addition, students and managers in universities generally have little concern for laboratory safety. So students are sometimes injured or killed in laboratory accidents. In this study, 1,000 university students answered questions about university laboratory safety. Their answers have been analyzed to determine the state of actual conditions and to formulate countermeasures. The results indicate that we need to change the safety awareness of the universities and the students. Adequate safety training and safe practice must be implemented by each university to decrease accidents. Development of systematic safety training program suited to the specific conditions of the individual laboratory and formulation of specific counter plans should accidents occur are required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.160-167
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• 2014

To determine a proper ASIL for each hazardous event with a proper safety goal, the right classes should first be determined for the three properties of the hazardous event; (i) severity of harm from the resultant accident, (ii) exposure to the relevant operational situation, and (iii) controllability to avoid the induced risks. ASIL can be clearly determined with right classes of these three properties. But no specific methodologies or processes for their classification can be found in ISO 26262, except only a rough guideline with a simplified set of illustrative tables. In this paper, we try to present a systematic model for classifying the three properties of the hazardous event and suggest a refined procedure of ASIL determination. The proposed model provides a specific method to get a more objective ASIL compared with that in the standard. Scrutinizing the current methodology, we develop a refined method and also provide an illustrative example.

• Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2007

The green revolution has significantly helped in increasing the food production. So far, various breeding methods have been exploited, besides them recombination DNA technology provides another approach for increasing the food production. By means of this technology the losses in food production incurred by various biotic and abiotic stresses can be effectively controlled. In most of the transgenic studies scientists have used antibiotic resistant genes as markers for easy selection of transformants but there are risks involved in use of GM foods. To make such foods safer and environment friendly we have discussed a novel strategy i.e. Cre-lox which involves site specific recombination. By means of Cre-lox the marker genes can be specifically removed once the selection of transformants is over. In addition, this strategy can be used to module the hybrid chromosomes, avoid gene silencing and incorporate single copy of a transgene for its higher expression.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.768-787
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• 2009

This paper focuses to identify and analyze the influence of the perceived risk and innovation adoption of the new products in the bio-industry. After a comprehensive literature review, we identified factors, such as perceived risks, perceived benefits, trust, fear of the unknown, innate innovativeness, and domain-specific innovativeness. An empirical result points that perceived benefits and domain-specific innovativeness have positive effect to the consumer's purchase intention, while trust and fear of the unknown don't have significant effect.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.1-28
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• 2009

Banking industries have continuously innovated through technology-enhanced products and services. Many studies have recognized the importance of the Internet in banking industries, arguing that it has been widely adopted. Many studies published on the Internet banking in specific countries are mostly related with such issues as internet banking adoption and acceptance, security and risks of online banking system, and interface design. Several studies have been done to examine the differences and similarities between other banking channels and the Internet banking. However, to the best of our knowledge, only a limited number of studies has examined the differences and similarities between two specific countries in order to create a new customer satisfaction model. In this research, we studied the internet banking satisfaction model by comparing two countries: South Korea and Indonesia. We conducted an empirical study based on the data collected in both two countries. In this research, we found that countries which have adopted electric banking services, particularly between a country with high ICT adoption and a country with low ICT adoption, show different satisfaction trends. Based on the study results, herein we provide discussion, managerial, and practical implications.