• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.2699-2703
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• 2016

Background: Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have great HCC diagnostic potential and circulating miRNAs have been reported as promising biomarkers for various pathologic conditions. Aim: To explore the potential benefit of serum miR-126, miR-129, miR-155, miR-203 and miR-223 as non-invasive diagnostic markers of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC. Materials and Methods: The expression of miRNA was evaluated using real-time quantitative RT-PCR in 78 serum samples (30 $treatment-na{\ddot{i}}ve$ chronic HCV, 25 post-HCV compensated cirrhosis and 23 $treatment-na{\ddot{i}}ve$ HCC cases). Results: Comparing miRNA fold changes in the HCC group vs the non HCC groups, there was significant fold decrease in miR-126 (P= 0.034), miR-129 (P= 0.006), miR-155 (P= 0.011), miR-203 (P<0.001) and miR-223 (P= 0.013). The highest AUC to differentiate HCC patients from non-HCC was 0.76 for miR-203. Conclusions: Among studied miRNAs, serum miR-203 has the highest potential as a non-invasive biomarker of HCC.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 1986

One of the most medically important snail species of Korea is Semisulcospira spp., a member of the freshwater prosobranch family pleuroceridae. The parasites that these snails transmit to humans are mainly Paragonimus westermani and Metagonimus yokogawoi. On the other hand, Semisulcospira snails are edible as a foodstuff in Korea. The present study was first aimed to detect out residual pesticides in the snails collected at the endemic and non-endemic areas of paragonimiasis in Korea and to make relationship to the detectability of larval trematodes shed from the snails. In addition, water specimens from the habitats where the snails were collected were sampled and analysed to elucidate environmental conditions of the habitats. This malaco-ecological survey was done at 7 endemic and 3 non-endemic areas of paragonimiasis for about more than 2 years, May, 1984 through October, 1986. All the water smaples both from the endemic and non-endemic areas of paragonimiasis showed normal ranges of the criteria of upper freshwater streams, with lower B.O.D. (0.4~2.0 ppm) and higher D.O. values (9.5~11.0 ppm) than those in the large river systems Infection rate of digenetic trematodes in total snails collected was 6.7%, but no Paragonimus cercaria was detected out at all even in the endemic areas of paragonimiasis. The ecological factors affecting Paragonimus larvae in the snails were also discussed. A total of 9 chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticieds was targeted to detect out from the tissues of snails. Out of 9 pesticides, aldrin, beta-BHC, p, p-DDT, dieldrin, DDE, lindane, heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide were eluted from the snails. The highest levels of the pesticides were mostly detected out in the snails collected from the Donghae-Chun area of Haman and the Kangwha area of Kyongki-Do, where the lowest infection rates of trematode cercariae (0~0.5%) were revealed. The possibilities that the residual pesticides in the freshwater animals including Semisulcospira snails might be transferable to humans were also discussed.

• Communications of the Korean Mathematical Society
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.597-608
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• 2007

We present a general uniqueness result of an endemic state for an S-I-R model with external force of infection. We reduce the problem of finding non-trivial steady state solutions to that of finding zeros of a real function of one variable so that we can easily prove the uniqueness of an endemic state. We introduce an assumption which was usually used to show stability of a non-trivial steady state. It turns out that such an assumption adopted from a stability analysis is crucial for proving the uniqueness as well, and the assumption holds for almost all cases in our model.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.70 no.4
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• pp.338-341
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• 2011

Hydatid disease is caused by the larval stage of taenia $Echinococcus$, which endemic in the Mediterranean region. Recently, the prevalence of the disease has increased worldwide due to an increase in the frequency of travel and immigration. As the infested larvae migrate through the bloodstream, the final destination is most commonly the liver or lungs; direct pleural invasion is very rare. A 50-year-old diabetic Korean man presented with an incidentally noted 2 cm right pleural nodule. On follow up imaging after three months, its size had increased. To confirm the diagnosis of the lesion, surgical excision was performed. Histopathological examination showed the diagnosis of a hydatid cyst. The patient had no history of overseas travel, but lives in an urban area where many foreign workers from endemic countries reside. This is the first reported case of primary pleural hydatid disease in a non-endemic country.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2016

Purpose: Early diagnosis of gastric cancer is still the exception in Western countries. In the East, as in Japan and Korea, this disease is an endemic disorder. More conservative surgical procedures are frequently performed in early gastric cancer cases in these countries where sentinel lymph node navigation surgery is becoming a safe option for some patients. This study aims to evaluate preliminary outcomes of patients with early gastric cancer who underwent sentinel node navigation surgeries in Brazil, a country with non-endemic gastric cancer levels. Materials and Methods: From September 2008 to March 2014, 14 out of 205 gastric cancer patients underwent sentinel lymph node navigation surgeries, which were performed using intraoperative, endoscopic, and peritumoral injection of patent blue dye. Results: Antrectomies with Billroth I gastroduodenostomies were performed in seven patients with distal tumors. The other seven patients underwent wedge resections. Sentinel basin resections were performed in four patients, and lymphadenectomies were extended to stations 7, 8, and 9 in the other 10. Two patients received false-negative results from sentinel node biopsies, and one of those patients had micrometastasis. There was one postoperative death from liver failure in a cirrhotic patient. Another cirrhotic patient died after two years without recurrence of gastric cancer, also from liver failure. All other patients were followed-up for 13 to 79 months with no evidence of recurrence. Conclusions: Sentinel lymph node navigation surgery appears to be a safe procedure in a country with non-endemic levels of gastric cancer.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 1999

A total of 542 children under 10 years of age, admitted to the Seoul National University Children's Hospital, was examined for antibody titers of Toxoplasma gondii using indirect latex agglutination (ILA) test. Among them, 7.7% showed positive titers higher than 1:32, without significant difference between males (7.3%) and females (8.5%). The seropositive rate increased with age although the statistical significance was negligible (0.05

• Korean Journal of Plant Taxonomy
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.166-169
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• 2023

Carex brevispicula (Cyperaceae) is endemic to Korea and is characterized by constricted achenes, short lateral spikes, and awned staminate and pistillate scales. The species classified in sect. Mitratae occurs throughout South Korea, perennating on mountains and/or rocky slopes under half shadow conditions. Meiotic chromosomes of the species were examined in this study, in which 33 meiotic cells from seven populations were found to be less than 2 ㎛ long with non-constricted chromosomes (n = 34_II). The stable chromosome number may be related to the narrow geographical distribution and/or distinct achene morphology. Further investigations of the distribution, morphological character variation, and chromosome characteristics should be conducted with closely related taxa to understand the derivation of the species and its endemism in Korea.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.96-99
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• 2014

Study on the egg envelope of an endemic Korean freshwater fish, Coreoleuciscus splendidus was carried out by light and scanning electron microscopes during its spawning season. The egg envelope on the entire egg is filled with plenty of long cylinder-like villi before and after fertilization. The fertilized eggs consist of two regions, the attaching and non-attaching parts to stick to the substrates. The villi covering the fertilized eggs have three kinds of villi in its length: 1) normal- sized villi of an average of $10.6{\mu}m$ on the non-attachment part; 2) longer and more slender villi over about $20{\mu}m$ on the attachment part, at least being two times longer than those of the non-attachment; and 3) shorter villi under about $5.0{\mu}m$ around the micropyle, with half the size of the non-attachment villi. The micropyle rotated in a counter-clockwise direction with five pieces of the ridges.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.609-617
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• 2020

Plasmodium vivax reemerged in 1993. It has been sustained for more than 25 years and become one of the important indigenous parasitic diseases in northern and western parts of the Republic of Korea near the demilitarized zone. In particular, relapse is a significant concern for the control of malaria, as short- and long-term incubation periods vary among those infected in Korea. In this study, the prevalence of asymptomatic carriers was examined among residents of high endemic areas of vivax malaria during nonseasonal transmission of mosquitoes. Blood samples from 3 endemic regions in northwestern Korea were evaluated by microscopic examination, rapid diagnostic testing, and nested PCR to identify asymptomatic patients carrying malaria parasites in the community. However, no positive malaria case among residents of endemic areas was detected. Additionally, serological analysis was carried out to measure antibodies against 3 antigenic recombinant proteins of P. vivax, merozoite surface protein 1-19, circumsporozoite surface protein-VK210, and liver-stage antigen (PvLSA-N), by the protein array method. Interestingly, seropositivity of sera between previous exposure and samples without exposure to malaria was significantly higher using the PvLSA-N antigen than the other antigens, suggesting that PvLSA-N can be used as a serological marker to analyze the degree of exposure for malaria transmission in endemic areas. This indicates a very low asymptomatic carrier prevalence during the nonmalaria season in the endemic areas of Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-16
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• 2020

The current status of geographical distribution range of Deutzia paniculata, one of the korean endemic plants, was investigated based on the species distribution information. The information of the geographical range used for analysis includes all the published references to the distribution of D. paniculata, herbarium specimens in Korea National Arboretum (KH) including its online database: http://www.nature.go.kr, and field research. Although, D. paniculata was firstly recorded in Wonsan, Hamgyeongnam-do, North Korea, this research revelaved that D. paniculata is mainly distributed in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do, southern regions of the Korean Peninsula. According to the distribution map, this species was estimated on distribution edge of in Anyang region of Gyeonggi-do, Mt. Naejang of Jeollabuk-do and Mt. Taebaek of Gwangwon-do on the distribution edge. However, it was made use of intensive field survey to identify the natural population of the species in these regions. D. paniculata habitat was mainly distributed between 290 meters and 491 meters in altitude, but it was also found ranged from 936 to 959 meters in Gun-wi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. The distribution slope was 5° to 35° and the north, N, NE and NW in the aspect. The flora of vascular plants in D. paniculata habitats was listed in 137 taxa: 54 families, 103 genera, 120 species, 2 subspecies, 12 varieties and 3 forms while Korean endemic plants were found in three taxa, Stewartia koreana, Weigela subsessilis and D. Paniculata. Based on a collection of non-biological environment and biological environment data, D. paniculata population were discussed to make strategy and basic research methods for sustainable preservation.