• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.479-482
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• 2012

Aim: Soy foods are the major source of isoflavones, which are believed to play important roles in genesis of breast cancer and its progression. We here conducted a prospective study to evaluate the association of soy isoflavone food consumption with breast cancer prognosis. Methods: A prospective study was performed from January 2004 and January 2006 in China. Trained interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire to collect information on dietary habits and potential confounding factors. The relative risk [hazard ratio (HR)] and 95% CI were calculated from the Cox regression model for all significant predictors from cancer diagnosis to the endpoint of the study (event). Results: After a median follow up of 52.1 months (range, 9-60 months), a total of 79 breast cancer related deaths were recorded in our study, risk being inversely associated with a high intake of soy isoflavone. With an average intake of soy isoflavone above 17.3 mg/day, the mortality of breast cancer can be reduced by about 38-36%. We also found the decreased breast cancer death with high soy protein intake, with a HR (95% CI) of 0.71 (0.52-0.98). Stratified analysis with reference to the ER status, further demonstrated a better prognosis of ER positive breast cancer with a high intake of soy isoflavone (HR 0.59, 0.40-0.93). Conclusion: Our study shows the soy food intake is associated with longer survival and low recurrence among breast cancer patients. A cohort study with a larger sample size and long term follow-up is now needed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.97-101
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• 2012

Objective: With the background of aging population in China and advances in clinical medicine, the amount of operations on old patients increases correspondingly, which imposes increasing challenges to critical care medicine and geriatrics. The study was designed to describe information on the length of ICU stay from a single institution experience of old critically ill gastric cancer patients after surgery and the framework of incorporating data-mining techniques into the prediction. Methods: A retrospective design was adopted to collect the consecutive data about patients aged 60 or over with a gastric cancer diagnosis after surgery in an adult intensive care unit in a medical university hospital in Shenyang, China, from January 2010 to March 2011. Characteristics of patients and the length their ICU stay were gathered for analysis by univariate and multivariate Cox regression to examine the relationship with potential candidate factors. A regression tree was constructed to predict the length of ICU stay and explore the important indicators. Results: Multivariate Cox analysis found that shock and nutrition support need were statistically significant risk factors for prolonged length of ICU stay. Altogether, eight variables entered the regression model, including age, APACHE II score, SOFA score, shock, respiratory system dysfunction, circulation system dysfunction, diabetes and nutrition support need. The regression tree indicated comorbidity of two or more kinds of shock as the most important factor for prolonged length of ICU stay in the studied sample. Conclusions: Comorbidity of two or more kinds of shock is the most important factor of length of ICU stay in the studied sample. Since there are differences of ICU patient characteristics between wards and hospitals, consideration of the data-mining technique should be given by the intensivists as a length of ICU stay prediction tool.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8483-8488
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second most common cause of cancer-induced mortalities in Iranian women, following gastric carcinoma. The survival of these patients depends on several factors, which are very important to identify in order to understand the natural history of the disease. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 313 consecutive women with pathologically-proven diagnosis of breast cancer who had been treated during a seven-year period (January 2006 until March 2014) at Towhid hospital, Sanandaj city, Kurdistan province of Iran, were recruited. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for data analysis, and finally those factors that showed significant association on univariate analysis were entered in a Cox regression model. Results: the mean age of patients was $46.10{\pm}10.81$ years. Based on Kaplan-Meier method median of survival time was 81 months and 5 year survival rate was $75%{\pm}0.43$. Tumor metastasis (HR=9.06, p=0.0001), relapse (HR=3.20, p=0.001), clinical stage of cancer (HR=2.30, p=0.03) and place of metastasis (p=0.0001) had significant associations with the survival rate variation. Patients with tumor metastasis had the lowest five-year survival rate (37%)and among them patients who had brain metastasis were in the worst condition (5 year survival rate= $11%{\pm}0.10$). Conclusions: Our findings support the observation that those women with higher stages of breast malignancies (especially with metastatic cancer) have less chance of surviving the disease. Furthermore, screening programs and early detection of breast cancer may help to increase the survival of those women who are at risk of breast cancer.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2020

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of atrial fibrillation (AF) on the risk of dementia in the Korean elderly. Methods: A 10-year retrospective cohort study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Service-Senior Cohort database. We excluded those who were under 65 years of age as of January 2006 (n=46 113), those who were diagnosed with dementia between 2002 and 2005 (n=9086), and those with a history of stroke prior to AF diagnosis (n=8392). We used a Cox proportional hazards model with a time-varying covariate to determine whether AF is associated with the risk of dementia after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: In univariable Cox regression, the hazard ratio (HR) of dementia according to AF status was 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23 to 1.33). After adjusting for potential confounders, AF was found to increase the risk of dementia (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.17), Alzheimer dementia (HR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.17), and vascular dementia (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.18). In patients diagnosed with AF, the incidence of dementia was lower (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.52) in patients who were treated with oral anticoagulants. Conclusions: Investigating the potential risk factors of dementia in an aged society is important. We found a slightly higher risk of dementia in those with AF than in those without AF, and we therefore concluded that AF is a potential risk factor for dementia.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.235-241
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• 2009

The aim of this study was to estimate the benefit from repeated examinations in the diagnosis of enterobiasis in nursery school groups, and to test the effectiveness of individual-based risk predictions using different methods. A total of 604 children were examined using double, and 96 using triple, anal swab examinations. The questionnaires for parents, structured observations, and interviews with supervisors were used to identify factors of possible infection risk. In order to model the risk of enterobiasis at individual level, a similarity-based machine learning and prediction software Constud was compared with data mining methods in the Statistica 8 Data Miner software package. Prevalence according to a single examination was 22.5%; the increase as a result of double examinations was 8.2%. Single swabs resulted in an estimated prevalence of 20.1% among children examined 3 times; double swabs increased this by 10.1%, and triple swabs by 7.3%. Random forest classification, boosting classification trees, and Constud correctly predicted about 2/3 of the results of the second examination. Constud estimated a mean prevalence of 31.5% in groups. Constud was able to yield the highest overall fit of individual-based predictions while boosting classification tree and random forest models were more effective in recognizing Enterobius positive persons. As a rule, the actual prevalence of enterobiasis is higher than indicated by a single examination. We suggest using either the values of the mean increase in prevalence after double examinations compared to single examinations or group estimations deduced from individual-level modelled risk predictions.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.282-291
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• 2007

Although the etiology of schizophrenia is known to be linked with the disturbance of glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission, little is known about the relationship between gene expression and the disease process. To identify genes related to abnormalities in glutamatergic and dopaminergic function, we investigated the effects of olanzapine in the changes of mRNA levels in the animal model of schizophrenia, using a high-density DNA microarray. Olanzapine (3.0 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly reduced hyperlocomotive activities, which was induced by MK-801 (1.0 mg/kg, i.p.). We identified that the expression of 719 genes were significantly altered more than two folds in the prefrontal cortex of the rats treated with MK-801. We selected 15 genes out of them by the changes of the expression pattern in the treatment of Olanzapine and/or MK801 for the further confirmation in RT-PCR. The administration of MK-801 increased the expression of 7 genes (NOS3, Hspb1, Hspa1a, CRH, Serpine1, Igfbp6, Snf1lk) and decreased the expression of 1 gene (Aldh1a2), which was attenuated by olanzapine. One gene (Prss12) was up-regulated after olanzapine treatment although it did not show the significant changes after MK-801 treatment. These results showed that antipsychotic drug, such as olanzapine, may alter the gene expression patterns, which were accompanied by MK-801-induced psychosis. Our results also provide us high-density DNA microarray technology could be potential approaches to find the candidate molecules for the therapeutics and also for the early diagnosis of psychiatric diseases.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.617-627
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• 2020

This study investigates the apparel sizing communication presented in online retail websites focusing on women's ready-to-wear tailored jackets and to analyze the meaning of these information as the actual product size guide factor. A total of 34 retail websites were selected based on the highest growth fashion companies list and the best fashion brands list. We collected size information in two types: size specifications including sizing code, body measurements, garment measurements, and size references including customized size guide tools, size information in customer reviews, model size information, and others. Most websites prefer to present garment measurements rather than body measurements that are recommended notations under Korean standards and related regulations. In addition, there was the absence of consistency in presenting measurements list and terms that can confuse consumers in size communication. This study found that the stature measurement was a key factor in size reference despite that it did not represent a proper garment size. The obsolete Korean numbering sizing code such as '55 and '66 was still used in many ways such as idiomatic expressions for body shape. It also implied that we can take advantage of the old sizing code for accessible size information. The finding of this study gives an in-depth diagnosis of current online sizing information problems and suggests useful basic data for developing online apparel size standards and marketing strategies.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.9 no.8
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• pp.1054-1066
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• 2006

This study proposes a new paradigm hospital information system through the nursing classification system and design of the HL7 clinical document architecture (Health Level Seven CDA) for information-sharing among various healthcare institutions. Nursing information CDA are included coding systems of nursing diagnosis, nursing intervention, nursing activity and outcomes. And, we have developed CDA generator for active generation of XML document. This study aims to facilitate the optimum care by providing health information required for individuals to nursing specialists in real-time, to help improvements in health, to improve the quality of productive life. This study has the following significance. First, an expansion and redefining process conducted, founded on the HL7 clinical document architecture and reference information model, to apply international standards to Korean contexts. Second, we propose a next-generation web based hospital information system that is based on the clinical document architecture. In conclusion, the study of the clinical document architecture will include an electronic health record (EHR) and a clinical data repository (CDR), and also make possible healthcare information-sharing among various healthcare institutions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)-based payment on the length of stay and the number of outpatient visits after discharge in for patients who had undergone caesarean section. Methods: This study used the health insurance data of the patients in health care facilities that were paid by the Fee-For-Service (FFS) in 2001-2004, but they participated in the DRG payment system in 2005-2007. In order to examine the net effects of DRG payment, the Difference-In-Differences (DID) method was adopted to observe the difference in health care utilization before and after the participation in the DRG payment system. The dependent variables of the regression model were the length of stay and number of outpatient visits after discharge, and the explanatory variables included the characteristics of the patients and the health care facilities. Results: The length of stay in DRG-paid health care facilities was greater than that in the FFS-paid ones. Yet, DRG payment has no statistically significant effect on the number of outpatient visits after discharge. Conclusions: The results of this study that DRG payment was not effective in reducing the length of stay can be related to the nature of voluntary participation in the DRG system. Only those health care facilities that are already efficient in terms of the length of stay or that can benefit from the DRG payment may decide to participate in the program.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 2011

The present study has been conducted to propose an algorithm regarding real-time load estimation of a gas engine-driven heat pump. In the study, thermal load of an indoor unit is estimated in terms of air-side and refrigerant-side. The air-side estimation is based on a typical heat exchanger model and is found to be in good agreement with experimental data. When it comes to the refrigerant-side load, a pressure difference across a valve must be estimated. For the estimation, it is assumed to be proportional to a bigger pressure difference that is available either by measurement or by estimation. Relative good agreement between the air- and refrigerant-sides suggests that the assumption may be plausible for the load estimation. The summed flow rate of all of indoor units is in good agreement with the throughput of the compressor which are calculated from the manufacturer's software. Accordingly, estimated thermal loads are also in good agreement. The proposed algorithm may be further developed for improved control algorithm and fault diagnosis.