• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3279-3286
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• 2014

Background: Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Korea. To reduce cancer incidence, the Korean National Cancer Center (KNCC) has been expanding its organized cancer screening program. In addition, there are opportunistic screening programs that can be chosen by individuals or their healthcare providers. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors associated with participation in organized and opportunistic cancer screening programs, with a particular focus on socioeconomic factors. Materials and Methods: We used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), a cross-sectional nationwide study conducted by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare from 2007 to 2011. The study included information from 9,708 men and 12,739 women aged 19 years or over. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted, adjusting for age, year of data collection, residential region, current smoking status, current alcohol consumption status, exercise, marriage status, job status, perceived health status, stress level, BMI, limitation of activities, cancer history, health insurance type, and private insurance status, to investigate the association between education level, economic status, and cancer screening participation. Results: In terms of education level, disparities in attendance were observed only for the opportunistic screening program. In contrast, there was no association between education level and participation in organized screening. In terms of economic status, disparities in opportunistic screening participation were observed at all income levels, but disparities in organized screening participation were observed only at the highest income level. Conclusions: Our findings reveal that socioeconomic factors, including educational level and economic status, were not significantly associated with participation in organized cancer screening, except at the highest level of income.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.196-202
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• 2016

We aim to develop the breast bolus by using a 3D printer to minimize the air-gap, and compare it to commercial bolus used for patients undergoing reconstruction in breast cancer. The bolus-shaped region of interests (ROIs) were contoured at the surface of the intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) thorax phantom with 5 mm thickness, after which the digital imaging and communications in mdicine (DICOM)-RT structure file was acquired. The intensity-modulated radiation therapy (Tomo-IMRT) and direct mode (Tomo-Direct) using the Tomotherapy were established. The 13 point doses were measured by optically stimulated luminescence (OSLD) dosimetry. The measurement data was analyzed to quantitatively evaluate the applicability of 3D bolus. The percentage change of mean measured dose between the commercial bolus and 3D-bolus was 2.3% and 0.7% for the Tomo-direct and Tomo-IMRT, respectively. For air-gap, range of the commercial bolus was from 0.8 cm to 1.5 cm at the periphery of the right breast. In contrast, the 3D-bolus have occurred the air-gap (i.e., 0 cm). The 3D-bolus for radiation therapy reduces the air-gap on irregular body surface that believed to help in accurate and precise radiation therapy due to better property of adhesion.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2335-2338
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• 2012

Objective: To evaluate several metabolic changes in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC ) which enhance cardiovascular risk in the western region of Nepal. Materials and Methods: This hospital based case control study was carried out using data retrieved from the register maintained in the Department of Biochemistry of the Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal between $1^{st}$ January, 2009 and $31^{st}$ December, 2011. The variables collected were age, gender, BMI, glucose, insulin, HbA1C, CRP, fibrinogen, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL, f-T3, f-T4, TSH. One way ANOVA was used to examine statistical significance of differences between groups, along with the Post Hoc test LSD for comparison of means. Results: fT3 values were markedly raised in DTC cases ($5.7{\pm}SD1.4$) when compared to controls ($2.2{\pm}SD0.9$). Similarly, fT4 values were also moderately raised in cases of DTC ($4.9{\pm}SD1.3$ and $1.7{\pm}SD0.9$). In contrast, TSH values were lowered in DTC cases ($0.39{\pm}SD0.4$) when compared to controls ($4.2{\pm}SD1.4$). Mean blood glucose levels were decreased while insulin was increased and HDL reduced ($39.5{\pm}SD4.7$ as compared to the control $43.1{\pm}SD2.2$). Conclusion: Cardiovascular risk may be aggravated by insulin resistance, a hypercoagulable state, and an atherogenic lipid profile in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2013

Objective : This study was undertaken in the belief that the atypical antipsychotic drug quetiapine could prevent apoptosis in the penumbra region following ischemia, taking into account findings that show 5-hydroxytryptamine-2 receptor blockers can prevent apoptosis. Methods : We created 5 groups, each containing 6 animals. Nothing was done on the K-I group used for comparisons with the other groups to make sure adequate ischemia had been achieved. The K-II group was sacrificed on the 1st day after transient focal cerebral ischemia and the K-III group on the 3rd day. The D-I group was administered quetiapine following ischemia and sacrificed on the 1st day while the D-II group was administered quetiapine every day following the ischemia and sacrificed on the 3rd day. The samples were stained with the immunochemical TUNEL method and the number of apoptotic cells were counted. Results : There was a significant difference between the first and third day control groups (K-II/K-III : p=0.004) and this indicates that apoptotic cell death increases with time. This increase was not encountered in the drug groups (D-I/D-II : p=1.00). Statistical analysis of immunohistochemical data revealed that quetiapine decreased the apoptotic cell death that normally increased with time. Conclusion : Quetiapine is already in clinical use and is a safe drug, in contrast to many substances that are used to prevent ischemia and are not normally used clinically. Our results and the literature data indicate that quetiapine could help both as a neuronal protector and to resolve neuropsychiatric problems caused by the ischemia in cerebral ischemia cases.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.1769-1774
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• 2001

Bacillus licheniformis strains L-25 and PWD-1 are two thermophilic feather-degrading bacteria. Despite isolated from different environmental conditions, they were both capable of breaking down chicken feathers and growing in a medium in which feather was the only source of carbon and nitrogen. A 1.46-kb keratinase gene (ker B) was isolated from strain L-25 by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using L-25 genomic DNA as templates. Sequencing results reveal that ker B shares great sequence identity with a previously published keratinase gene of B. licheniformis PWD-1 (ker A). Only two amino acids differences were found in the deduced amino acid sequence between the keratinases from L-25 and PWD-1. However several nucleotide changes were found upstream of the putative promoter region. Protease inhibition studies indicated that neutral protease activity accounted for approximate 25 to 30% of total extracellular proteolytic activity produced by strain L-25 in the feather medium. In contrast, no measurable neutral protease activity was produced by strain PWD-1 in the feather medium. When glucose (1%), a common catabolic repressor, was added into the feather medium, L-25 was still able to grow and produce keratinase. Strain PWD-1 produced no neutral protease activity and its growth was severely inhibited in the feather medium containing glucose. L-25 produced an enhanced level of keratinase in the feather medium in comparison with PWD-1.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1049-1055
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• 2004

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) is referred to as a three body tribological system, because it includes two solids in relative motion and the CMP slurry. On the assumption that the abrasives between the pad and the wafer could be a major reason not only for the friction force but also for material removal during polishing, the friction force generated during CMP process was investigated with the change of abrasive size and concentration of CMP slurry. The threshold point of average coefficient of friction (COF) with increase in abrasives concentration during interlayer dielectric (ILD) CMP was found experimentally and verified mathematically based on contact mechanics. The predictable models, Mode I (wafer is in contact with abrasives and pad) and Mode II (wafer is in contact with abrasives only), were proposed and used to explain the threshold point. The average COF value increased in the low abrasives concentration region which might be explained by Mode I. In contrast the average COF value decreased at high abrasives concentration which might be regarded to as Mode II. The threshold point observed seemed to be due to the transition from Mode I to Mode II. The tendency of threshold point with the variation of abrasive size was studied. The increase of particle radius could cause contact status to reach transition area faster. The correlation between COF and material removal rate was also investigated from the tribological and energetic point of view. Due to the energy loss by vibration of polishing equipment, COF value is not proportional to the material removal rate in this experiment.

• Atmosphere
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.47-57
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• 2020

In this study, the climatological spatio-temporal variation of strong wind and gust wind in Korea during the period from 1993 to 2018 was analyzed using daily maximum wind speed and daily maximum instantaneous wind speed data recorded at 61 observations. Strong wind and gust wind were defined as 14 m s^-1 and 20 m s^-1, which are the same as the KMA's criteria of special weather report. The frequency of strong wind and gust wind occurrence was divided into regions with the higher 25 percent (Group A) and the lower 75 percent (Group B). The annual frequency of strong wind and gust wind occurrence tended to be decreased in most parts of the Korean peninsula. In Group A with stations located at coastal region, strong wind and gust wind occurred most frequently in winter with higher frequency at 1200~1600 LST and 2300~2400 LST due to influence of East Asian winter monsoon. In addition, a marked decreasing trend throughout the four seasons was shown at Daegwallyeong, Gunsan and Wando observations. In contrast, it can be found in Group B that the monthly frequency of strong wind and wind gust occurrence was higher in August and September by effect of typhoon and hourly frequency was higher from 1200 LST to 1800 LST.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.170-170
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• 2002

College of Pharmacy, Ewha womans University, Seoul, 120-750, Korea 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is the most potent halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon congener that induces expression of several genes including CYP1A1. Exposure to TCDD results in many toxic actions such as carcinogenesis, hepatotoxicity, immune suppression, and reproductive and developmental toxicity. Dramatic differences in dioxin toxicity have been observed between the sexes of some animal species, suggesting hormonal modulation of dioxin action. Many studies have been reported and propose several mechanisms of anti-estrogenic effects of TCDD. In contrast, the effect of estrogen on the regulation of CYP1A1 are not clear at present. There are several reports showing conflicting results. It seems that induction/inhibition of CYP1A1 may be dependent on cell-type and concentration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the regulation of TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression by estradiol and its metabolites. We examined whether estradiol and its metabolites altered TCDD-mediated induction of CYP1A1 enzyme activity. 17 ${\beta}$ estradiol and 16 ${\alpha}$ estriol at non cytotoxic concentrations caused a significant concentration dependent decline of TCDD-induced EROD activity To determine whether reduced EROD activity reflected altered CYP1A1 mRNA expression, we measured CYP1A1 mRNA level by RT-PCR. And to examine whether estradiol and its metabolites have effects on TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression at the transcription level, we also peformed transient transfection with an AhR responsive reporter plasmid containing the 5' flanking region of the human CYP1A1 gene to examine whether estradiol and its metabolites have effects on TCDD-induced CYP1A1 gene expression at the transcription level.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.224-230
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• 2010

Growth hormone (GH) is known as one of the main osmoregulators in euryhaline teleosts during seawater (SW) adaptation. Many of the physiological actions of GH are mediated through insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and the GH/IGF-I axis is associated with osmoregulation of fish during SW acclimation. However, little information is available on the response of fish IGF-II to hyperosmotic stress. Here we present the first cloned IGF-I and IGF-II cDNAs of marine medaka, Oryzias dancena, and an analysis of the molecular characteristics of the genes. The marine medaka IGF-I cDNA is 1,340 bp long with a 257-bp 5' untranslated region (UTR), a 528 bp 3' UTR, and a 555-bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a propeptide of 184 amino acid (aa) residues. The full-length marine medaka IGF-II cDNA consists of a 639 bp ORF encoding 212 aa, a 109 bp 5' UTR, and a 416 bp 3' UTR. Homology comparison of the deduced aa sequences with other IGF-Is and IGF-IIs showed that these genes in marine medaka shared high structural homology with orthologs from other teleost as well as mammalian species, suggesting high conservation of IGFs throughout vertebrates. The IGF-I mRNA level increased following transfer of marine medaka from freshwater (FW) to SW, and the expression level was higher than that of the control group, which was maintained in FW. This significantly elevated IGF-I level was maintained throughout the experiment (14 days), suggesting that in marine medaka, IGF-I is deeply involved in the adaptation to abrupt salinity change. In contrast to IGF-I, the increased level of marine medaka IGF-II mRNA was only maintained for a short period, and quickly returned a level similar to that of the control group, suggesting that marine medaka IGF-II might be a gene that responds to acute stress or one that produces a supplemental protein to assist with the osmoregulatory function of IGF-I during an early phase of salinity change.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2010

The aim of this study is to determine microstructure, chemical composition and crystal structure of hydroxyapatite for mouth teeth using optical microscopy and electron microscopy as well as electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA). Enamel, a protective cover to the teeth, consisted of rods oriented in regular and had relatively higher crystallinity and Ca component. In contrast, dentin showed a sponge-like microstructure with circular holes which were passages of dentinal tubules, and had higher Mg component than the enamel region due to its higher organic content. Hydroxyapatite crystals appeared as large rods in enamel, but as small needles in dentin. Their electron diffraction patterns were different by their crystallinity as well as by the organic content of the matrix.