• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.3915-3920
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• 2014

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a dismal tumor with a high incidence, prevalence and poor prognosis and survival. Management of HCC necessitates multidisciplinary clinics due to the wide heterogeneity in its presentation, different therapeutic options, variable biologic behavior and background presence of chronic liver disease. We studied the different prognostic factors that affected survival of our patients to improve future HCC management and patient survival. Materials and Methods: This study is performed in a specialized multidisciplinary clinic for HCC in Kasr El Eini Hospital, Cairo University, Egypt. We retrospectively analyzed the different patient and tumor characteristics and the primary mode of management applied to our patients. Further analysis was performed using univariate and multivariate statistics. Results: During the period February 2009 till February 2013, 290 HCC patients presented to our multidisciplinary clinic. They were predominantly males and the mean age was $56.5{\pm}7.7years$. All cases developed HCC on top of cirrhosis that was mainly due to HCV (71%). Most of our patients were Child-Pugh A (50%) or B (36.9%) and commonly presented with small single lesions. Transarterial chemoembolization was the most common line of treatment used (32.4%). The overall survival was 79.9% at 6 months, 54.5% at 1 year and 22.4% at 2 years. Serum bilirubin, site of the tumor and type of treatment were the significant independent prognostic factors for survival. Conclusions: Our main prognostic variables are the bilirubin level, the bilobar hepatic affection and the application of specific treatment (either curative or palliative). Multidisciplinary clinics enhance better HCC management.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.353-361
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• 2013

To analyze the distribution of earthquake-induced strain data in rock masses, statistical analysis was performed on four-directional strain data obtained from a ground movement monitoring system installed in Korea. Strain data related to the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake and two aftershocks of >M7.0 in 2011 were used in x-MR control chart analysis, a type of univariate statistical analysis that can detect an abnormal distribution. The analysis revealed different dispersion times for each measurement orientation. In a more comprehensive analysis, the strain data were re-evaluated using multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) considering correlations among the various data from the different measurement orientations. $T_2$ and Q-statistics, based on principal component analysis, were used to analyze the time-series strain data in real-time. The procedures were performed with 99.9%, 99.0%, and 95.0% control limits. It is possible to use the MSA data to successfully detect an abnormal distribution caused by earthquakes because the dispersion time using the 99.9% control limit is concurrent with or earlier than that from the x-MR analysis. In addition, the dispersion using the 99.0% and 95.0% control limits detected an abnormal distribution in advance. This finding indicates the potential use of MSA for recognizing abnormal distributions of strain data.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.173-180
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• 2019

Objectives : Loneliness is associated with negative mental and physical health. However, little is known about the risk factors of loneliness in the Korean elderly living alone. The aim of this study was to examine sociodemographic and social network related risks for loneliness among the elderly living alone. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that enrolled 1,091 subjects who are the community-residing elderly living alone. Sociodemographic status, medical condition, cognition, mood disorder and levels of loneliness were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and a specific semi-structured interview conducted by a trained nurse. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data regarding sociodemographic variable and loneliness. Univariate and Multivariate regression analyses were applied to examine factors associated with loneliness. Results : The mean score of loneliness was 3.8 (SD=1.7). No family contact (standardized β=0.115, p<0.001), no religious attendance (standardized β=0.057, p=0.028), no gathering with friends (standardized β=0.088, p=0.001) and high score of Short for of Geriatric Depression Scale (standardized β=0.502, p<0.001) were significantly associated with high loneliness in the elderly living alone. Conclusions : Family function, social network and depressive mood could be significant risk factors for high loneliness in the elderly living alone. Public health promotion efforts to reduce loneliness should focus on improving family function, social network and decreasing depression.

• Anxiety and mood
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.44-52
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• 2018

Objective : The present study had examined the psychiatric symptoms and physical health consequences for the bereaved parents of the high school students who died in the 2014 Sewol ferry accident. Methods : Forty bereaved parents participated in the study. The authors administered self-report questionnaires about the parents' health behaviors and psychiatric symptoms. The authors also conducted laboratory tests to assess the parents' physical health at 18 and 30 months after the accident. Univariate descriptive statistics were performed to report the prevalence and severity of psychiatric symptoms and health-related behaviors. Paired t-test and Mcnemar test were performed to compare the 18-and 30-month findings. Correlation analysis between psychiatric symptoms and laboratory findings were performed to find a relationship between the two variables. Results : At 30 months after the accident, most of the bereaved parents still appeared to suffer from complicated grief (97.5%), post traumatic stress disorder (80%), insomnia (77.5%) and severe depression (62.5%) based on the scores on the Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG), the PTSD Check List-5 (PCL-5), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). One quarter of the bereaved parents reported high-risk drinking, and 47.5% reported increased drinking amount and frequency after the accident. In objective laboratory results, 55% of the bereaved parents were obese as defined by body mass index ${\geq}25$. The parents' mean low-density lipoprotein shows a significant increase over time (118.5 mg/dL at 18 months. vs. 132.5 mg/dL at 30 months. paired t-test t=-4.061, $$p{\leq_-}0.001$$). Total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein at 30 months after the accident were in clinically borderline high range. In correlation analysis, triglyceride was positively correlated with ISI. Conclusion : The loss of children in the Sewol ferry accident, a disaster caused by human error, continued to have considerable impact on the victims' parents' mental and physical health 18 and 30 months after the accident. A longitudinal study following the parents' physical health would be necessary to investigate the long-term effects of this traumatic experience on physical health.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.52 no.8
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• pp.545-554
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• 2019

The most drought assessments are based on a drought index, which depends on univariate variables such as precipitation and soil moisture. However, there is a limitation in representing the drought conditions with single variables due to their complexity. It has been acknowledged that a multivariate drought index can more effectively describe the complex drought state. In this context, this study propose a Copula-based drought index that can jointly consider precipitation and soil moisture. Unlike precipitation data, long-term soil moisture data is not readily available so that this study utilized a Gaussian Mixture Non-Homogeneous Hidden Markov chain Model (GM-NHMM) model to simulate the soil moisture using the observed precipitation and temperature ranging from 1973 to 2014. The GM-NHMM model showed a better performance in terms of reproducing key statistics of soil moisture, compared to a multiple regression model. Finally, a bivariate frequency analysis was performed for the drought duration and severity, and it was confirmed that the recent droughts over Jeollabuk-do in 2015 have a 20-year return period.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.168-176
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• 2020

Objectives : Loneliness and poor sleep quality are common phenomena in old age and are associated with negative physical and mental health. However, little is known regarding the relation between loneliness and sleep quality. The aim of this study was to examine the association of loneliness and sleep quality among the elderly living alone. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study that enrolled 1,090 subjects who are the community-residing elderly living alone. Sociodemographic status, medical condition, cognition, mood disorder, sleep quality and levels of loneliness were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and a specific semi-structured interview conducted by trained nurses. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data regarding sociodemographic variable and loneliness. Univariate and Multivariate regression analyses were applied to examine the association between loneliness and sleep quality after adjustment for multiple confounding variables. Results : The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) mean score of "lonely group" (9.2±4.2) was significantly higher than that of "not lonely group" (7.3±3.7) (student-t test, p<0.001). Loneliness was significantly associated with PSQI (standardized β=0.065, p=0.025), sleep disturbance (standardized β=0.086, p=0.005), use of sleep medication (standardized β=0.065, p=0.034) after adjustment for possible confounding variables including sex and mood disorder. Conclusions : Loneliness was associated with sleep disturbance and this finding implied negative impact of loneliness on sleep quality of older adults. Public health promotion efforts to reduce loneliness may improve sleep quality and mental health in the elderly living alone.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.22-32
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• 2024

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, appearance satisfaction, and peer relationships between male and female middle school students, and to compare the effects of these variables on self-esteem in students of different genders. Methods: Data were collected in August and September of 2023 and analyzed using SPSS 24.0. Data were collected from 289 male and 240 female students through a survey, and descriptive statistics, x2 test, t-test, Scheffé test, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. Results: Female students showed significantly higher scores for sociocultural attitudes toward appearance (3.06±0.77 vs. 2.82±0.74), significantly lower scores for appearance satisfaction (2.55±0.46 vs. 2.71±0.40), and significantly higher scores for peer relationships (3.46±0.69 vs. 3.00±0.78) than male students. Additionally, self-esteem was significantly lower in female students (2.84±0.59) than in male students (2.95±0.51). As a result of adjusting for weekly allowance, subjective academic achievement, family economic status, stress, and experience of sadness or despair, which were significant in the univariate analysis, self-esteem increased as appearance satisfaction (p for all <.001) and peer relationships increased in both male (p=.009) and female (p<.001) students. In addition, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance did not have a significant impact on self-esteem in both male and female students. Among general characteristics, weekly allowance, subjective academic achievement, and stress were found to have a significant effect on self-esteem in both genders. Relationships with parents had a significant effect on self-esteem only in male students, and experience of sadness or despair had a significant effect only in female students. Conclusion: In order to improve self-esteem in both boys and girls, appearance satisfaction and peer relationships should be improved. As boys with poor relationships with their parents and girls with high levels of sadness or despair are particularly likely to have low self-esteem, they are to be considered as a high-risk group.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2014

Purpose: Serum vitamin C is one of the indicators for antioxidant levels in the body and it is lower in cancer patients compared with the healthy population. However, there have been few studies on the levels of serum vitamin C in terminally ill cancer patients and related factors. Methods: We followed 65 terminal cancer patients who were hospitalized in two palliative care units. We collected data of age, sex, cancer type, functional status, clinical symptoms, history of cancer therapy, and various laboratory findings including serum vitamin C level. Patients were categorized into two groups according to the quartile of serum vitamin C level (Q1-3 vs. Q4), which were compared each other. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors related to serum vitamin C levels. Results: The mean serum vitamin C level was $0.44{\mu}g/mL$, and all patients fell into the category of vitamin C deficiency. Univariate analysis showed that The serum vitamin C level was lower in non-lung cancer patients (P=0.041) and febrile patients (P=0.034). Multivariate analysis adjusted for potential confounders such as lung cancer, fever, dysphagia, dyspnea, C reactive protein, and history of chemotherapy demonstrated that odds for low serum vitamin C level was 3.7 for patients receiving chemotherapy (P=0.046) and 7.22 for febrile patients (P=0.02). Conclusion: Vitamin C deficiency was very severe in terminally ill cancer patients, and it was associated with history of chemotherapy and fever.