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Serum Beta-2 Microglobulin: a Possible Marker for Disease Progression in Egyptian Patients with Chronic HCV Related Liver Diseases

  • Ouda, SM;Khairy, AM;Sorour, Ashraf E;Mikhail, Mikhail Nasr
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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    • v.16 no.17
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    • pp.7825-7829
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    • 2015
  • Background: Egypt has the highest prevalence of HCV infection in the world (~14.7%). Around 10-15% of HCV-infected persons will advance to cirrhosis within the first 20 years. The incidence of HCC is expected to grow in the next two decades, largely due to HCV related cirrhosis, and detection of HCC at an early stage is critical for a favorable clinical outcome. No simple reliable non-invasive marker has been available till now. B2M, a non-glycosylated polypeptide composed of 99 amino acids, is one of the components of HLA class I molecules on the surfaces of all nucleated cells. It has been reported that the level of serum B2M is elevated in patients with chronic hepatitis C and HCV-related HCC when compared to HCV-negative patients or healthy donors. Determining the clinical utility of serum B2M as a marker for disease progression in Egyptian patients with HCV related chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma was the aim of the present study. Materials and Methods: In this analytical cross sectional study 92 participants were included in 4 equal groups: Group (1) non cirrhotic chronic HCV; Group (2) HCV related liver cirrhosis; Group (3) HCC on top of HCV,; and Group (4) healthy controls. History taking, clinical examination, routine labs and abdominal ultrasound were conducted for all patients, PCR and Metavir scores for group (1) patients, and triphasic CT abdomen and AFP for Group (3) patients. B2M levels were measured in serum with a fully-automated IMX system. Results: The mean serum B2M level of Group (1) was $4.25{\pm}1.48{\mu}g/ml$., Group (2) was $7.48{\pm}3.04$, Group (3) was $6.62{\pm}2.49$ and Group (4) was $1.62{\pm}0.63$. Serum B2M levels were significantly higher in diseased than control group (p<0.01) being significantly higher in cirrhosis ($7.48{\pm}3.04$) and HCC groups ($6.62{\pm}2.49$) than the HCV group ($4.25{\pm}1.48$) (p<0.01). There was a significant correlation between B2M Level and ALK, total and direct bilirubin and INR (p<0.05), and a significant inverse correlation between B2M level and albumin, total proteins, HB andWBCS values (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between B2M level and viral load or Metavir score, largest tumour size or AFP (p>0.05). The best B2M cut-off for HCV diagnosis was 2.6 with a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 92%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 97% and a negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%. The best B2M cut-off for HCC diagnosis was 4.55 which yielded sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive values of 74%, 62%, 39.5, 87.8% respectively (p-value <0.01) while best cut-off for cirrhosis was 4.9, with sensitivity 74 % and specificity 74%.The sensitivity for HCC diagnosis increased upon B2M and AFP combined estimation to 91%, specificity to 79%, NPV to 95% and accuracy to 83%. Conclusions: Serum B2M level is elevated in HCV related chronic liver diseases and may be used as a marker for HCV disease progression towards cirrhosis and carcinoma.

Flow Resistance and Modeling Rule of Fishing Nets -2. Flow Resistance of Bag Nets- (그물어구의 유수저항과 모형수칙 -2. 자루형 그물의 유수저항-)

  • KIM Dae-An
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.28 no.2
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    • pp.194-201
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    • 1995
  • In order to make clear the resistance of bag nets, the resistance R of bag nets with wall area S designed in pyramid shape was measured in a circulating water tank with control of flow velocity v and the coefficient k in $R=kSv^2$ was investigated. The coefficient k showed no change In the nets designed in regular pyramid shape when their mouths were attached alternately to the circular and square frames, because their shape in water became a circular cone in the circular frame and equal to the cone with the exception of the vicinity of frame in the square one. On the other hand, a net designed in right pyramid shape and then attached to a rectangular frame showed an elliptic cone with the exception of the vicinity of frame in water, but produced no significant difference in value of k in comparison with that making a circular cone in water. In the nets making a circular cone in water, k was higher in nets with larger d/l, ratio of diameter d to length I of bars, and decreased as the ratio S/S_m$ of S to the area $S_m$ of net mouth was increased or as the attack angle 9 of net to the water flow was decreased. But the value of ks15m was almost constant in the region of S/S_m=1-4$ or $\theta=15-90^{\circ}$ and in creased linearly in S/S_m>4 or in $\theta<15^{\circ}$ However, these variation of k could be summarized by the equation obtained in the previous paper. That is, the coefficient $k(kg\;\cdot\;sec^2/m^4)$ of bag nets was expressed as $$k=160R_e\;^{-01}(\frac{S_n}{S_m})^{1.2}\;(\frac{S_m}{S})^{1.6}$$ for the condition of $R_e<100$ and $$k=100(\frac{S_n}{S_m})^{1.2}\;(\frac{S_m}{S})^{1.6}$$ for $R_e\geq100$, where $S_n$ is their total area projected to the plane perpendicular to the water flow and $R_e$ the Reynolds' number on which the representative size was taken by the value of $\lambda$ defined as $$\lambda={\frac{\pi d^2}{21\;sin\;2\varphi}$$ where If is the angle between two adjacent bars, d the diameter of bars, and 21 the mesh size. Conclusively, it is clarified that the coefficient k obtained in the previous paper agrees with the experimental results for bag nets.

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Basic Study on the Development of Analytical Instrument for Liquid Pig Manure Component Using Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (근적외선 분광법을 이용한 돈분뇨 액비 성분분석기 개발을 위한 기초 연구)

  • Choi, D.Y.;Kwag, J.H.;Park, C.H.;Jeong, K.H.;Kim, J.H.;Song, J.I.;Yoo, Y.H.;Chung, M.S.;Yang, C.B.
    • Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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    • v.13 no.2
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    • pp.113-120
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    • 2007
  • This study was conducted to measure Nitrogen(N), Phosphate($P_2O_5$), Potassium ($K_2O$), Organic matter(OM) and Moisture content of liquid pig manure by Near Infrared Spectroscopy(NIRS) and to develop an alternative and analytical instrument which are used for measurement of N, $P_2O_5$, $K_2O$, OM, and Moisture contents for liquid pig manure. The liquid pig manure sample's transmittance spectra were measured with a NIRS in the wavelength range of 400 to 2,500 nm. Multiple linear regression and partial least square regression were used for calibrations. The correlation coefficient(RSQ) and standard error of calibration(SEC) obtained for nitrogen were 0.9190 and 2.1649, respectively. The RSQ for phosphate, potassium, organic matter and moisture contents were 0.9749, 0.5046, 0.9883 and 0.9777, and the SEC were 0.5019, 1.9252, 0.1180 and 0.0789, respectively. These results are indications of the rapid determination of components of liquid pig manure through the NIR analysis. The simple analytical instrument for liquid pig manure consisted of a tungsten halogen lamp for light source, a sample holder, a quartz cell, a SM 301 spectrometer for spectrum analyzer, a power supply, an electronics, a computer and a software. Results showed that the simple analytical instrument that was developed can approximately predict the phosphate, organic matter and moisture content of the liquid pig manure when compared to the analysis taken by NIRS. The low predictability value of potassium however, needs further investigation. Generally, the experiment proved that the simple analytical instrument was reliable, feasible and practical for analyzing liquid pig manure.

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Floristic Study of Sangwangsan Mt. and Its Adjacent Areas(Wando-gun) (완도 상왕산 일대의 식물상 연구)

  • Gwang-Il Kim;Chan-jin Oh;Sun-jin Lee;Soon-Ho Shin;Kyoung-Pae Yun
    • Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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    • v.37 no.2
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    • pp.100-139
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    • 2023
  • This study was intended to identify the distribution and characteristics of plants such as native plants, rare plants, and endemic plants through a flora survey in Sangwangsan Mt. (644m), Wando-gun, Jeollanam-do, a group habitat of warm temperate forests in Korea, and use the data for the conservation of plant species diversity and the study of climate and distribution changes in warm-temperate forests. A total of 32 field surveys were conducted from 2018 to 2022. The survey identified 785 taxa, including 8 forms, 53 varieties, 16 subspecies, 708 species, 473 genera, and 132 families. The endangered wild plants designated by the Ministry of Environment included 6 taxa: Woodwardia japonica, Metanarthecium luteoviride, Bulbophyllum inconspicuum, Dendrobium moniliforme, Pelatantheria scolopendrifolia, and Cymbidium macrorhizon. Rare plants designated by the Korea Forest Service were identified as 26 taxa. The red list designated by the Korea National Arboretum was identified as 7 taxa, the red list designated by the Ministry of Environment was identified as 29 taxa, and endemic plants in Korea were identified as 17 taxa. Floristic target species in Korea were identified as 200 taxa, specifically 6 taxa of grade V, 13 taxa of grade IV, 73 taxa of grade III, 29 taxa of grade II, and 79 taxa of grade I. Naturalized plants were identified as 73 taxa, and invasive alien plants were identified as 6 taxa. Target plants adaptable to climate change in Korea were identified as 55 taxa, specifically 8 taxa of endemic plants, 46 taxa of southern plants, and 1 taxon of northern plants.

Surgical Treatment of Aneurysm of the Sinus of Valsalva Eight Year Experience (발살바동 동맥류의 외과적 치료)

  • 오상준;유완준
    • Journal of Chest Surgery
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    • v.29 no.9
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    • pp.983-988
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    • 1996
  • Aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva is fairly rare. Between 1987 and 1994, we operated on a total of 12 cases of aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva at the Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital. This represents 0.7% of all cardiac operation under cardiopulmonary bypass. There were eight male and four female patients aged from 8 to 38 years(mean, 19.2 years). 8 of 12 patients had ruptured aneurysms. The origin of aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva was the right coronary sinus in 10(83. 3%), and the noncoronary sinus in 2(16.6%). In ruptured aneurysm, the origin was the right oronary sinus in 6, and the noncoronary sinus in 2. The aneurysms originating from the right coronary sinus ruptured into the right ventricle in 5, and into both the right atrium and right ventricle in 1. The aneurysms originating from the noncoronary sinus ruptured into the right ventricle in 1, and into the right atrium in 1. Associated congenital cardiac defects included ventricular septal defect in 10(83.3%) patients 39 cases of these were associated with the aneurysms of the right coronary sinus), aortic regurgi- tation in 3 (all of these had an additional ventricular septal defect), mitral regurgitation in 1, and double chambered right ventricle in 1. No hospital deaths occurred, although one late death occurred as a result of endocarditis 15 months after the first operation. The mean follow-up period was 29 months, range from 4 to 60 months. Eleven patients except one late death were in New York Heart Association class 1. Due to the low mortality risk o( an operation for aneur sm of the sinus of Valsalva, a ruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsalva should be corrected surgically when the diagnosis is mane, and unruptured aneurysm of the sinus of Valsava with complication should also be operated. In most cases the aorta was opened to examine the morphology of the aneurysm and the aortic cusps, and an associated aortic valve defect should be corrected simultaneously.

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A Study on the Methodology of Land-Consolidation Sloping Paddies in land Vallry for the Farm-Mechanization (II) (기계화를 전제로 한 산간경사지답경지정리방안에 관한 연구(II))

  • Hwang, Eun
    • Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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    • v.24 no.4
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    • pp.57-68
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    • 1982
  • The paddy fiels slope located in Kangweon province Hwyongsung gun Gonggeun myon Shinchonri was considerably steep and so it was impossible to economically consolidate the field up to date. But for the porpose of farm mechanization, the field (32. 27ha) was consolidated by the auther under the assitance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery and,;the Administration of Kangweon province. This paddy field consolidation was caused by the treatise on "Land-consolidation methods for farm mechanization in the steep-sloped paddy field", of which the auther is the same. The constrution was carried out from September, 1981 to April, 1982. During the 4esign and construction, some Peculiarities were found and discussed. That is, in design, besides the common condititions for a design, some special conditions were considered and written below; (1) The ranges of field slope in this design were 1/100-1/30. (2) Long sides of the land readjustment blocks must be arranged abreast contour line, and so they make the amount of cutting and banking decreased so as to take the maximum advantage of the configuration of the field. (3) In design, the main principles of dividing blocks were written below; i) First of all, long side of a block should be drawn straight abreast a contour line. ii) Long side of a block should arrange abreast contour line and make its length 100-150m, if not, l)reak the side in order to make a bended rectangle. iii) Length of a short side should be determinded within differences of elevation (0.6 -1. 2m) between the two adjacent blocks toward the normal to a contour line. iv) Length of a short side should be above 15m and the ratio of long and short side should be slso kept 1: (4-6). v) A new field surface leveling was determinded from the elevation which produce the least amount of cuttingand banking within the range of 0.6-1. 2m diffe rences of elevation between the two adjacent blocks. vi) In the course of dividing blocks with the same width along the line which was normal to a contour line, all blocks connot keep their shape in a retangle because of steep slope of the field and so on, and so it was also necessory to make some non-retanglar and small blocks such as a trianglar or trapezoidal shape, which was impossible to use some of farm machinery. But because this non-rectanglar and small blocks were divided, larger and many rectanglar blocks can be divided and construction cost can also be lowered. According to the conditions discussed above, the paddy field consolidation project designed and constructed. And the results of this study were obtained as below; (1) Three-forth of total cost of this paddy field consolidation was not construction cost, and these cost consist of land grading (1/4), road and canal construction cost (1/4) and the other cost (1/4) such as surveying or materials and 56 on. (2) The steeper the land slope, the greater cost was assigned for road and canal construction, and than land grading. (3) Curtailment of the road and canal construction cost depended on simplificating their strutures. (4) In the case of the land slopes were low, the land grading cost was high by 1: 1.4 in comparison with the road and canal construction cost, and conversely when the slops were steep, the road and canal construction cost was high by 1 : 5 in compa- rison with the land grading cost. (5) The densities of irrigation canal, drainage canal and trunk and branch road were 150. Sm/ha, 60. im/ha and 17. 4m/ha respectively. The density of irrigation canal of the area was high by 2 times in comparison with the average one of Kangweon Province, and the others were nearly the same. (6) Most farmers (above 85%) knew the effects of paddy field consolidation. The effects are; 1) Improvement of irrigation 2) Improvement of farm management 3) Improvement of transportarion 4) farm mechanization and 5) grouping of the scattered land. And the more farm modernization was accomplished by these projects, the more farmers wanted to live in their land. (7) In spite of the very steep sloped paddy field, the diminution rate of the net farm land caused by consolidation was 7.7% which was nearly the same as the one of Chulweon plain of Kangweon province. Land grading cost was 971, OOOwon/ha which was rather cheap by 13.2% than the one of Ghulweon plain, and unit construction cost was 5, 341, OOOwon/ha (included soil addition) which was also nearly the same as the one of Chulweon plain and FNFIA (The federation of national farmland improvement association).

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Possible Use of the Animal By-product Mixture as n Dietary Fish meal Relpacer in Growing Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) (잉어 사료에 있어 축산 가공 부산 혼합물의 어분 대체 가능성)

  • BAI Sungchul;JANG Hye-Kyung;CHO Eun-Sun
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.31 no.3
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    • pp.380-385
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    • 1998
  • This study evaluated the possible utilization and the replacing range of animal by-product mixture (ABPM) as a dietary fish meal replacer in growing common carp (Cyprinus carpio). ABPM is a mixture of leather meal, meat and bone meal, blood meal and squid liver powder at a specific weight based ratio. Five different diets were formulated on isonitrogenous and isocaloric basis of $40\%$ crude protein and 15.3 KJ/g diet in which white fish meal (WFM) protein was substituted with the ABPM Protein as follows: diet 1, $100\%$ WFM ($0\%$ ABPM, control); diet 2, $75\%$ WFM+$25\%$ ABPM ($25\%$ ABPM); diet $3,\;50\%$ WFM+$50\%$ ABPM ($50\%$ ABPM); diet 4 $25\%$ WFM+$75\%$ ABPM ($75\%$ ABPM); diet $5.0\%$ WFM+$100\%$ ABPM ($100\%$ ABPM). As the dietary protein sources, each diet contained $34.7\%$ of animal protein supplied by white fish meal and/or ABPM and $65.3\%$ of plant protein. After one week of conditioning period, fish averaging 10 g were randomly assigned to each diet treatment as triplicate groups and fed one of the experimental diets for 12 weeks. Weight gain of fish fed diet 1 (control) and 3 were significantly higher than those of fish fed diet 2, 4 and 5 during the first 4 weeks (P< 0.05), while there were no significant differences among all diet groups during the third 4 weeks (P>0.05). Feed conversion ratio of fish fed diet 1 was significantly higher than those fed diet 2, 3, 4 and 5 during the second 4 weeks (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences among all diet groups during the first and the third 4 weeks (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in proximate analysis among fish fed the experimental diets either for the second 4 weeks or the third 4 weeks (P>0.05). These results indicated that ABPM could be used as a fish meal replacer up to $100\%$ in growing common carp.

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A Study on the Actual Conditions of Smoking in Middle and High School Students in One Region (일 지역 중·고등학생의 흡연실태)

  • Kim, Hyeon-Ok
    • Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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    • v.12 no.1
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    • pp.149-167
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    • 1999
  • To investigate the actual conditions of smoking in middle and high school students in Chinan County, I used a sturctured questionnaire for 1,579 students attending twelve middle-high schools from December 1, 1998 to December 20, 1998. I collected and data correlated the using an $SPSS-PC^+$ 1. The smoking rate of middle-high schoo1 students in Chinan County was 17.9%, relatively high. This smoking rate was different according to the gender, grade, religion, and economic situation. In mals, high school students, non-religious, students low income family students, the smoking rate was higher. The smoking rate of high school students was almost the same as the smoking rate of adults, generally higher than that of foreign teenagers. Because the smoking rat of studinets in the third grade of middle school and in the first grade of high School was six times higher, increased education should be conducted during this time in an attempt to curb the sudden increase of the smoking rate. The smoking rate of girl students was 5.0%; this has increased mor than three times from ten years ago. Consequently, counter measures should be taken against the smoking of female students as well as juvenile smoking in general. In addition, the smoking rate of middle-high school students showed interesting differences when correnated with enviornmental factors. Students with low grades, who are not satisfied with school life, who don't have both parents, who have uncaring parents who nare too strict or too arbitary, who have smoking parents, or who have experienced smoking commonly smoked. Therefore, to lower the smoking rate we should improve the school environment, improve a student's interest in school life. And parents or siblings should lead by example and quit smoking at home. Schools should educate students more effectively concerning the harmful effects of smoking and create an accurate understanding of its dancers. From the beginning, we should teach students never ever to touch cigaretts. 2. The surve discovered that most students started out of curiosity, or solicitantion from friends or elders at middle school, and had been smoking one to five cigarettes for more than a year. They obtained cigarettes at stores and most of them have friends who smoke. As a result anti-smoking education should be conducted at elementary schools prior to middle school. More than 95% of the teenagers who smoke had friends who smote and smoked out of curiosity or the recommendation of elders. Thus, we must focus on teenagers who smoke in group, rather than individually. Fuyrthermore, the strict application of the regulation of tobacco sales as well as tobacco cooperation from retailers are needed. While students did not show any mood or academic achievement difference after beginning smoking, 58.1% of the students a health situdation that was worse. Juvenile smoking is more harmful to the juvenile than adult smoking is to the adult. This should be focused on in an anti-smoking campaign. 3. Students who smoke hada more positive attitude toward smoking than students who don't smoke. Students who smoke had a tendency to have a nuetral position and are not concerned about smoking compared to non-smoking students. The survey showed that the great number of students had a nuetral position. Because this nuetrality may increase Juvenile smoking, education that provides an exact understanding of smoking should be performed to build the correct attidude toward smoking. 4. Middle school students smoke when angry, gloomy, anxious, a lone and when they have some problems to solve, on when they feel inconveniened in other wores, they smoke to reliver stress. They also smok due to addiction. Because smoking is not a praetical method to relieve stress, a program which helps to acquire positive relief stress should be provided to help reduce smoking. 5. About 65% of students who smoke want to quit smoking because of health problem, 78% of them have tried mor than once to quit but failed due to weak will power and peer pressure from friends who smoke. Juvenile smoking is group, oriented. Thus, the program that advances less smoking will be the one that focuseds on groups. 6. As for advice to students who want to quit smoking, "persuasion" was used most commonly, followed by a "presentation on how to quit smoking". Another method were severe punishment. About 70% of the students wanted the anti-smoking guide at school. 7. Most students (73.5%) had a position that more anti-smoking education at school is needed. Obriously, then, anti-smoking education at middle-high schools should be reinfoced. Although the education which explains the harmful influence of tobacco is known as an efficient way prevent smoking; it does not influence students who already smoke. Therefore, for students who smoke, multi-dimensional approaches must be attempted that include physical training, phychokogical approache, consultation and discussion, medical chek-ups, audio-visual education technigues, and professonal instructors, in addition, because smoking students have more negative on lukewarm attitude to anti-smoking education anti-smoking education should be conducted through a communicative style by dedicated teachers who care about students. In order to increase the effectiveness of this program.

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