• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3595-3600
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• 2016

Background: To investigate the association between preoperative pathological Ki-67 labeling index and serum tumor marker cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) with clinic-pathological parameters and treatment outcomes in early breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study at 4 cancer centers in Saudi Arabia and Egypt was performed. Data were collected for female patients diagnosed with unilateral early breast cancer between March 2010 and October 2013. Cases treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by surgery and radiotherapy were included. NACT included 6-8 cycles of anthracycline and taxane based regimens. Trastuzumab and hormonal treatments were added according to HER2 and hormone receptor status. Baseline serum CA15.3 and pathological Ki67 levels were evaluated and correlated with disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 280 pts was included. The median age was 49 years (38-66 y) and median overall survival was 35 (20-38) months (mo). Estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR) and HER 2 receptors were positive in 233 (83.2%), 198 (70%) and 65 cases (23.2%), respectively. High preoperative Ki67 and CA15.3 were noted in 177 (63.2%) and 131 (46.8%). A total of 45 (16%) patients had distal or local recurrence and 24 (8.6%) died of their disease. Most of the relapsed cases had high preoperative Ki-67 (n=41, 91%) and CA15.3 (n=28, 62%) values. All of the patients who died had a high Ki-67 but CA15.3 was high in 9 (37%) only. Mean DFS/OS in patients with high preoperative Ki-67 was 32 months /32 months as compared to 37 months/35 months in those with normal Ki-67 (p<0.001). Correlation of preoperative CA15.3 and survival was statistically not significant. Conclusions:Preoperative Ki-67 can be a predictive and prognostic marker. Higher levels are associated with poor DFS and OS in patients with early BC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5873-5878
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• 2014

Hypoxia and autophagy are known to facilitate tumor progression. We here aimed to investigate the role of hypoxia-associated autophagy in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) survival and metastasis. Immunostaining of hypoxic-responsive proteins (HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and BNIP3) and a key regulator of autophagy (PI3KC3) were examined in CCA tissues and their expression levels were compared with clinicopathological parameters. A hypoxia mimicking condition ($CoCl_2$ treatment) was also tested regarding CCA cell functions. Our results showed that HIF-$1{\alpha}$ (66%), BNIP3 (44%) and PI3KC3 (46%) showed strong staining in human CCA tissues. Positive expression of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ (p=0.033), BNIP3 (p=0.040) and PI3KC3 (p=0.037) was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis. HIF-$1{\alpha}$ was well associated with BNIP3 (r=0.3, p<0.01) and PI3KC3 (r=0.2, p<0.01). The survival rates of patients who were positive with HIF-$1{\alpha}$ (p=0.047) or co-expressed HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and BNIP3 (p=0.032) or HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and PI3KC3 (p=0.043) were significantly greater than in the negative groups. CCA cells treated with $CoCl_2$ showed an increase in HIF-$1{\alpha}$, BNIP3, PI3KC3 and LC3-II, with increased cell migration and pFAK levels. These data suggest that hypoxia associated autophagy enhances CCA metastasis, resulting in a poor prognosis of CCA.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.47 no.12
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• pp.1135-1143
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• 2014

This study was carry out to evaluate of water purification in oxidation pond with filamentous algae mat. It is the water treatment process in the small rural streams to remove the organic materials and nutrients. We used the filamentous algae mat (FAM) which selectively predominate the filamentous algae to prevent the additional contamination by algae outflow, and we conducted a experiment on the water treatment process using the aquatic plants such as Eichhornia crassipes. The removal efficiencies (%) of water quality parameters were SS 80.9%, COD 74.6%, TN 76.8%, TP 84.4%, DTN 93.8% and DTP 98.3%, respectively. Temperature, a effect factor, was $21.8{\pm}5.9^{\circ}C$ during the operating period, according to temperature had no effect on the removal efficiencies of pollutants. Hydraulic retention time (HRT) strongly correlated with removal efficiencies (%) of SS and TP having r=0.414 (p<0.005), r=0.446 (p<0.005), respectively, and when HRT was 5day had highly removal efficiency (%) in SS and TP. TN and TP removal efficiency increased with ratio decreasing in both COD/TN and COD/TP of Influent.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.92-92
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• 2014

Recently, many state-of-art spectroscopy techniques are used to unravel the mysteries of condensed matters. And numerous heterostructures have provided a new avenue to search for new emergent phenomena. Especially, near the interface, various forms of symmetry-breaking can appear, which induces many novel phenomena. Although these intriguing phenomena can be emerged at the interface, by using conventional measurement techniques, the experimental investigations have been limited due to the buried nature of interface. One of the ways to overcome this limitation is in situ investigation of the layer-by-layer evolution of the electronic structure with increasing of the thickness. Namely, with very thin layer, we can measure the electronic structure strongly affected by the interface effect, but with thick layer, the bulk property becomes strong. Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) is powerful tool to directly obtain electronic structure, and it is very surface sensitive. Thus, the layer-by-layer evolution of the electronic structure in oxide heterostructure can be investigated by using in situ ARPES. LaNiO3 (LNO) heterostructures have recently attracted much attention due to theoretical predictions for many intriguing quantum phenomena. The theories suggest that, by tuning external parameters such as misfit strain and dimensionality in LNO heterostructure, the latent orders, which is absent in bulk, including charge disproportionation, spin-density-wave order and Mott insulator, could be emerged in LNO heterostructure. Here, we performed in situ ARPES studies on LNO films with varying the misfit strain and thickness. (1) By using LaAlO3 (-1.3%), NdGaO3 (+0.3%), and SrTiO3 (+1.7%) substrates, we could obtain LNO films under compressive strain, nearly strain-free, and tensile strain, respectively. As strain state changes from compressive to tensile, the Ni eg bands are rearranged and cross the Fermi level, which induces a change of Fermi surface (FS) topology. Additionally, two different FS superstructures are observed depending on strain states, which are attributed to signatures of latent charge and spin orderings in LNO films. (2) We also deposited LNO ultrathin films under tensile strain with thickness between 1 and 10 unit-cells. We found that the Fermi surface nesting effect becomes strong in two-dimensions and significantly enhances spin-density-wave order. The further details are discussed more in presentation. This work was collaborated with Hyang Keun Yoo, Seung Ill Hyun, Eli Rotenberg, Ji Hoon Shim, Young Jun Chang and Hyeong-Do Kim.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.493-500
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• 2005

There is some evidence that soy isoflavone has beneficial effects on the concentration of blood lipids. In this study, we investigated habitual isoflavone intake levels and the relation among dietary isoflavone intake, blood pressure, and blood lipids of adult men (n = 149) and women (n = 205). Anthropometric measurements including blood pressure, dietary in-take assessment using 24-hour recall method, and biochemical assessment using blood were conducted. The average age, height, weight, and BMI were 54.7 years, 168.5 cm, 67.3 kg, and 24.5 $kg/m^2$ for men and 53.9 years, 153.8 cm, 59.2 kg, and 25.0 $kg/m^2$ for women, respectively. The mean daily intakes of total food and energy were 1219.1 g and 1740.9 kcal for men and 1071.3 g and 1432.6 kcal for women, respectively. The mean daily isoflavones (daidzein + genistein) intake of men and women were 20.0 mg and 14.2 mg, respectively. Blood pressure of the subjects was 128.3/75.5 mmHg for men and 124.1/73.7 mmHg for women. Serum lipids of men and women were 180.2 and 184.9 mg/dL for total cholesterol, 160.8 and 137.6 mg/dL for triglyceride, 41.5 and 44.7 mg/dL for HDL-cholesterol, 106.6 and 112.7 mg/dL for LDL-cholesterol, and 3.5 and 3.3 for atherogenic index, respectively. Serum triglyceride and atherogenic index of men were significantly higher than those of women. In men, isoflavone intake and the level of total serum cholesterol were negatively (p < 0.05) correlated, after adjusted age. In women, there were significant correlations between isoflavone intake and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), after adjusted age (p < 0.05). Based on these results, we concluded that higher isoflavone intake seemed to be related to a better lipid profile in men and lower blood pressure in women. But more epidemiological studies and controlled clinical trials would help to confirm the optimal amount required for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.253-259
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• 2011

Purpose: Long-term survivors of childhood cancer appear to have an increased risk for the metabolic syndrome, subsequent type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adulthood compared to healthy children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of the metabolic syndrome and associated factors in childhood cancer survivors at a single center in Korea. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of medical records of 98 childhood cancer survivors who were diagnosed and completed anticancer treatment at Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea between Jan. 1996 and Dec. 2007. Parameters of metabolic syndrome were evaluated between Jan. 2008 and Dec. 2009. Clinical and biochemical findings including body fat percentage were analyzed. Results: A total of 19 (19.4%) patients had the metabolic syndrome. The median body fat percentage was 31.5%. The body mass index and waist circumference were positively correlated with the cranial irradiation dose (r=0.38, P<0.001 and r=0.44, P<0.00, respectively). Sixty-one (62.2%) patients had at least one abnormal lipid value. The triglyceride showed significant positive correlation with the body fat percentage (r=0.26, P=0.03). The high density lipoprotein cholesterol showed significant negative correlation with the percent body fat (r=- 0.26, P=0.03). Conclusion: Childhood cancer survivors should have thorough metabolic evaluation including measurement of body fat percentage even if they are not obese. A better understanding of the determinants of the metabolic syndrome during adolescence might provide preventive interventions for improving health outcomes in adulthood.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.260-272
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• 2010

This study examined how the participation rates contribute to subjects' outcomes after a nutrition education (once/week) and exercise (3 times/week) intervention program for 12 weeks in 44 obese female subjects. The subjects were divided into two groups: high-participator (HP) or low-participator (LP) groups according to their participation levels based on the median visit value (30 visits out of a total of 48 visits). Daily nutrient intakes assessed by a 24-hour recall, body composition, blood lipid profiles and physical fitness were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. After the intervention, weight, BMI, percent body fat, and the waist-hip ratio were significantly decreased in the HP group. In addition, the HP group had a greater rates of changes in weight (HP group: -6.6% and LP group: -3.1%, p < 0.01), BMI (-7.0% and -3.2%, p < 0.01), percent body fat (-7.8% and -4.2%, p < 0.05), and waist-hip ratio (-3.1% and -0.4%, p < 0.01) compared to the LP group. Energy-adjusted protein, fiber, potassium, vitamin $B_1$, vitamin $B_6$, and vitamin C were significantly increased in the HP group. The HP group showed a significant increase in HDLcholesterol and a decrease in blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and atherogenic index (AI). While the muscle endurance, muscle strength, power, agility and flexibility were significantly increased in the HP group, agility and balance were improved in the LP group. In addition, dietary behavior score was significantly increased and stress score decreased in the HP group compared to the LP group. High participation rates were correlated with the improvement of the nutrient density (protein, fiber, potassium, Vitamin $B_1$, Vitamin $B_2$, Vitamin $B_6$ and folate), anthropometric parameters (body weight, BMI and percent body fat), serum lipid profiles (HDL-cholesterol, Triglyceride, and AI) and physical fitness (muscle endurance) adjusted for age, menopausal status, alcohol drinking, nutritional supplement use and baseline BMI. Our results suggest that high participation in nutrition education and exercise program was effective not only for weight reduction but also for the improvement of physical fitness in obese women.

• Korea-Australia Rheology Journal
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.131-140
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• 2005

In this work we show the results of our most recent Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) of turbulent viscoelastic channel flow using spectral spatial approximations and a stabilizing artificial diffusion in the viscoelastic constitutive model. The Finite-Elasticity Non-Linear Elastic Dumbbell model with the Peterlin approximation (FENE-P) is used to represent the effect of polymer molecules in solution, The corresponding rheological parameters are chosen so that to get closer to the conditions corresponding to maximum drag reduction: A high extensibility parameter (60) and a moderate solvent viscosity ratio (0.8) are used with two different friction Weissenberg numbers (50 and 100). We then first find that the corresponding achieved drag reduction, in the range of friction Reynolds numbers used in this work (180-590), is insensitive to the Reynolds number (in accordance to previous work). The obtained drag reduction is at the level of $49\%\;and\;63\%$, for the friction Weissenberg numbers 50 and 100, respectively. The largest value is substantially higher than any of our previous simulations, performed at more moderate levels of viscoelasticity (i.e. higher viscosity ratio and smaller extensibility parameter values). Therefore, the maximum extensional viscosity exhibited by the modeled system and the friction Weissenberg number can still be considered as the dominant factors determining the levels of drag reduction. These can reach high values, even for of dilute polymer solution (the system modeled by the FENE-P model), provided the flow viscoelasticity is high, corresponding to a high polymer molecular weight (which translates to a high extensibility parameter) and a high friction Weissenberg number. Based on that and the changes observed in the turbulent structure and in the most prevalent statistics, as presented in this work, we can still rationalize for an increasing extensional resistance-based drag reduction mechanism as the most prevalent mechanism for drag reduction, the same one evidenced in our previous work: As the polymer elasticity increases, so does the resistance offered to extensional deformation. That, in turn, changes the structure of the most energy-containing turbulent eddies (they become wider, more well correlated, and weaker in intensity) so that they become less efficient in transferring momentum, thus leading to drag reduction. Such a continuum, rheology-based, mechanism has first been proposed in the early 70s independently by Metzner and Lamley and is to be contrasted against any molecularly based explanations.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.193-202
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• 1998

Water quality of Masan-Jinhae Bay was monitored from January 1996 to August 1997. The monitoring focused on the spatial and vertical gradients and seasonal changes of eutrophication parameters such as nutrients, DO and water transparency. Flagellate phytoplanktons persistently bloomed from April to October with monospecific or mixed algal blooms and dynamic algal successions were observed in this area. Algal blooms were highly correlated with salinity drops and made the water less transparent. Stratification of oxygen content was persistent through summer and oligo-oxygenation was developed in the bottom waters. Nutrient gradients were consistently maintained through the depth in summer and through spatial distribution from inner Masan Bay to outer Jinhae Bay in winter. Except the rainfall seasons, water quality was under the influence of the waste waters discharged from watershed around the Masan Bay. The waste waters would act as the primary factor for the water quality deterioration of the bay. Literature data for eutrophication were gathered and analyzed to review the water quality trends of the Masan and Jinhae bays since 1970. Annual mean COD and phosphate concentration consistently increased from 1975 to 1990 and decreased or dropped after 1991. The sediment of inner part of Masan Bay was dredged from 1991 to 1994 as a decontamination process and it is assumed that the dredging has weakened more or less the deterioration trend of the water quality of the bay.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.411-418
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• 2014

This study was to investigate the potential effects of fermented Angelica gigas Nakai (FAG) at 5% (w/w) levels in Sprague-Dawley strain rats, which were intoxicated with 1% (w/w) orotic acid (OA) for 10 days. The activities of several hepatic enzymes, including aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and cholinesterase were increased when OA was treated, but these parameters were significantly decreased by FAG administration. OA treatment induced a significant increase in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels, which was attenuated by FAG administration. Liver nonheme ion was decreased in the OA treatment group and was significantly increased in FAG administration, which suggests that lipid peroxidation contents are inversely correlated with liver nonheme ion content. The glutathione concentration was significantly decreased in the OA treatment group compared with the normal group, but this concentration was significantly increased in the FAG group, and it showed the antioxidant ability of glutathione. Based on these results, fermented Angelica gigas Nakai is a material with significant potential for development into a health food that can improve fatty liver conditions.