• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.198-202
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• 2021

Considerable disagreement exists regarding whether endometrial polyps should be removed before attempting natural pregnancy and before pregnancy via intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Through a literature review, we obtained information on the impact of endometrial polyps and polypectomy on fertility outcomes. Several observational studies have suggested that women with unexplained infertility may benefit from endometrial polypectomy for a future natural pregnancy. A few studies reported benefits from endometrial polypectomy in infertile women who plan to undergo IUI. However, no strong evidence supports polypectomy as a way to improve the pregnancy rate in infertile women who plan to undergo IVF or polypectomy during controlled ovarian stimulation for IVF. Although no studies have defined criteria for the polyp size that should be removed in infertile women, clinicians should be aware that small endometrial polyps (<10 mm) sometimes regress spontaneously. Endometrial polypectomy is currently justified in patients with repeated IVF failure, but more studies are needed to verify that endometrial polypectomy itself will eventually increase the pregnancy rate. Although several mechanisms by which endometrial polyps exert a negative effect on fertility have emerged, there is no consensus about the proper management of endometrial polyps in infertile women. Therefore, the management of endometrial polyps should be individualized depending on the patient's situation and clinician's preference.

• Journal of Breast Disease
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.46-51
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• 2018

Purpose: Endocrine therapy is the preferred treatment for hormone receptor (HR)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). We investigated the efficacy of combined aromatase inhibitor (AI) and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonist in premenopausal patients with HR-positive MBC. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 21 HR-positive premenopausal MBC patients treated with combined AI and LHRH agonist therapy. Results: The median follow-up period was 32.9 months. The overall response rate was 47.6%, with three complete responses (14.3%) and seven partial responses (33.3%). Nine patients (42.9%) achieved stable disease lasting more than 6 months; thus, the clinical benefit rate was 90.4%. The median time to progression was 45.4 months. No patients experienced grade 3 or 4 toxicity. Conclusion: Combined AI and LHRH agonist treatment safely and effectively induced remission or prolonged disease stabilization, suggesting that this could be a promising treatment option for HR-positive premenopausal patients with MBC.

• ALGAE
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.375-388
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• 2020

Ocean acidification and warming, identified as environmental concerns likely to be affected by climate change, are crucial determinants of algal growth. The ichthyotoxic raphidophytes Chattonella species are responsible for huge economic losses and environmental impact worldwide. In this study, we investigated the impact of CO2 on the thermal performance curves (TPCs) of Chattonella marina and Chattonella ovata grown under temperatures ranging from 13 to 34℃ under ambient pCO2 (350 μatm) and elevated pCO2 (950 μatm). TPCs were comparable between the species or even between pCO2 levels. With the exception of the critical thermal minimum (CTmin) for C. ovata, CTmin for C. marina and the thermal optimum (Topt) and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) for both species did not change with elevation of pCO2 levels. While CO2 enrichment increased the maximum photosynthetic rates (Pmax) up to 125% at the Totp of 30℃, specific growth rates were not significantly different under elevated pCO2 for the two species. Overall, C. ovata is likely to benefit from climate change, potentially widening its range of thermal tolerance limit in highly acidic waters and contributing to prolonged phenology of future phytoplankton assemblages in coastal waters.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.11-16
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• 2022

HHPV (Human Papillomavirus) is a DNA virus that can cause benign lesions, genitourinary cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer by penetrating the mucous membrane and skin. It is widely known to be transmitted mainly through sexual contact. As with many viral infections, vaccines have been developed to prevent infection with HPV. Currently, in many countries, HPV vaccines are mainly used for national immunization for women to prevent diseases that traditionally occur frequently in women, especially cervical cancer. However, since the vaccination rate is relatively low, many countries are struggling with ways to increase the vaccination rate. Meanwhile, the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer caused by HPV in men has been increasing recently. In the United States, the annual number of oropharyngeal cancers in men already exceeds the number of cervical cancers in women, so HPV infection in men has emerged as a major problem. Accordingly, interest in HPV vaccination in men has also increased, and studies on the effectiveness and necessity of vaccination of both women and men compared to women alone are being actively conducted. In this paper, the evidence of HPV vaccination for men will be reviewed through previous studies, and its validity and cost-effectiveness will be analyzed to bolster the clinical usefulness of HPV vaccination for men.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.524-532
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• 2022

We investigated the effects of taurine-enriched rotifers on larval growth and swim bladder inflation of yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata. Rotifers were enriched with a commercial taurine supplement at two levels (0 and 800 mg/L). The larvae (initial notochord length=3.98±0.24 mm) were fed the enriched rotifers in triplicate from two days post-hatch for five days. The average taurine contents of the taurine non-enriched and enriched rotifers were 0.35±0.01 and 4.77±0.05 mg/g dry matter, respectively. The weight gain and specific growth rate of the fish fed enriched rotifers with the taurine supplement at 800 mg/L significantly improved compared with those of fish fed rotifers without taurine enrichment (P<0.05). The swim bladder inflation rate of larvae fed taurine enriched rotifers significantly (P<0.05). The results of the present study indicate that yellowtail larvae benefit from taurine concentrations compared with those typically reported to feed on non-taurine supplemented rotifers. Furthermore, taurine-enriched food for fish larval effectively improved the growth performance and swim bladder inflation of yellowtail larvae.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2023

Perioperative treatment with conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has proven clinical benefits in terms of achieving a higher overall survival (OS) rate. With its success in the palliative treatment of NSCLC, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has now become an essential component of treatment, even as neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy in patients with operable NSCLC. Both pre- and post-surgery ICB applications have proven clinical efficacy in preventing disease recurrence. In addition, neoadjuvant ICB combined with cytotoxic chemotherapy has shown a significantly higher rate of pathologic regression of viable tumors compared with cytotoxic chemotherapy alone. To confirm this, an early signal of OS benefit has been shown in a selected population, with programmed death ligand 1 expression ≥50%. Furthermore, applying ICB both pre- and post-surgery enhances its clinical benefits, as is currently under evaluation in ongoing phase III trials. Simultaneously, as the number of available perioperative treatment options increases, the variables to be considered for making treatment decisions become more complex. Thus, the role of a multidisciplinary team-based treatment approach has not been fully emphasized. This review presents up-to-date pivotal data that lead to practical changes in managing resectable NSCLC. From the medical oncologist's perspective, it is time to dance with surgeons to decide on the sequence of systemic treatment, particularly the ICB-based approach, accompanying surgery for operable NSCLC.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2013.01a
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• pp.602-607
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• 2013

Financial risks associated with capital investments are often measured with different feasibility indicators such as the net present value (NPV), the internal rate of return (IRR), the payback period (PBP), and the benefit-cost ratio (BCR). This paper aims at demonstrating practical applications of probabilistic feasibility analysis techniques for an integrated feasibility evaluation of the IRR and PBP. The IRR and PBP are concurrently analyzed in order to measure the profitability and liquidity, respectively, of a cash flow. The cash flow data of a real wind turbine project is used in the study. The presented approach consists of two phases. First, two newly reported analysis techniques are used to carry out a series of what-if analyses for the IRR and PBP. Second, the relationship between the IRR and PBP is identified using Monte Carlo simulation. The results demonstrate that the integrated feasibility evaluation of stochastic cash flows becomes a more viable option with the aide of newly developed probabilistic analysis techniques. It is also shown that the relationship between the IRR and PBP for the wind turbine project can be used as a predictive model for the actual IRR at the end of the service life based on the actual PBP of the project early in the service life.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.423-428
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• 2023

The mouse kidney transplantation model serves as an invaluable tool for exploring various aspects of the transplant process, including acute rejection, cellular and humoral rejection, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and the evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies. However, conducting venous anastomosis in this model poses a significant challenge due to the thin and pliable characteristics of the renal vein, which often obstruct clear visualization of the resected vein's edge. This study proposes the adoption of a two stay suture technique to enhance the visualization of the renal vein's edge, thereby facilitating efficient and successful venous anastomosis. A total of 22 mice served as kidney donors in this study. The conventional anchoring suture technique was employed for venous anastomosis in 11 of these mice, while the remaining 11 underwent the two stay suture technique. The anastomosis duration and completion rates were then compared between these two groups. The conventional anchoring suture technique yielded an average anastomosis time of 29 minutes and a completion rate of 64%. In contrast, the two stay suture technique demonstrated a substantial improvement, with an average anastomosis time of 14 minutes and a completion rate of 100%. The two stay suture technique offers a promising solution to enhance visualization during venous anastomosis in murine kidney transplantation. This technique may particularly benefit novices by enabling them to perform venous anastomosis more easily, swiftly, and successfully.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.9
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• pp.4773-4776
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• 2012

Objectives: To assess the efficacy, side effects, and the impact on quality of life with $Qinin^{(R)}$ (Cantharidin sodium) injection combined with chemotherapy for gastric cancer patients. Method: A consecutive cohort of 70 patients were divided into two groups: experimental group with cantharidin sodium injection combined with chemotherapy, while the control group received chemotherapy alone. After more than two courses of treatment, efficacy, quality of life and side effects were evaluated. Results: The response rate of experimental group was not significantly different from that of the control group (P>0.05), but differences were significant in clinical benefit response and KPS score. In addition, gastrointestinal reactions and the incidence of leukopenia were lower than in the control group (P<0.05). Conclusions: $Qinin^{(R)}$ (Cantharidin sodium) injection combined with chemotherapy enhances clinical benefit response, improving quality of life of gastric cancer patients and reducing side effects of chemotherapy. Thus $Qinin^{(R)}$ (Cantharidin sodium) injection deserves to be further investigated in randomized control clinical trails.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.51-60
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• 2018

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the opinions of Korean medical doctors on how to elucidate possible remedial measures for expanding the health insurance benefits coverage item of Korean medicine (KM). Methods: An online survey was conducted to all members who had registered e-mail address in the association of Korean medicine from 1 to 17 November, 2016. Statistical analysis was performed and odds ratio with 95% confidence interval were calculated by each subgroup. Results: A total of 743 members answered the questions and the response rate was 4.1%. The priorities for expanding health insurance benefits were as follows: thermographic imaging, Sasang constitution typing test, and pulse wave among examinations; pharamacopuncture, embedding acupuncture, and acupotomy among procedures; Chuna manual therapy, manual therapy for meridian muscle, and Daoyin exercise therapy among manual therapies; low-frequency electrical therapy, traction, paraffin bath, and light therapy among physical therapies; and aromatherapy, enema therapy, and color therapy among activities of KM. Conclusions: It should be covered by the national health insurance (NHI) of KM that thermographic imaging, pharmacoacupuncture, Chuna manual therapy, low-frequency electrical therapy, aromatherapy as a top priority. We also suggest that basic medical tests, such as blood, urine, or imaging, should be included in the coverage of the NHI of KM. It is necessary to review the expertise and public opinions about the plans and priorities for the conversion of the desired medical services to be covered by the NHI.