• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.45-57
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• 2024

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of artificial menopause on the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer, and to provide basic data for cancer prevention and early diagnosis in women. Methods: Analysis was conducted using raw data from the 2011-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among the 79,262 people surveyed in the 2011-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 10,207 people were selected as the final research subjects, excluding men, those under 18 years old, those over 80 years old, those who did not participate in the health survey, those with missing data, and those who were not in menopause. Among them, 248 people were diagnosed with thyroid cancer (2.7%), 225 people were diagnosed with breast cancer (2.5%), and 143 people were diagnosed with cervical cancer (21.5%). Results: First, there appeared to be differences between the thyroid cancer diagnosed group and the non-diagnosed group depending on educational level, childbirth experience, and menopause type. Second, there appeared to be differences between the breast cancer diagnosis group and the non-diagnosis group depending on educational level, menopause age, pregnancy experience, childbirth experience, subjective health status, and menopause type. Third, there appeared to be differences between the cervical cancer diagnosis group and the non-diagnosis group depending on menopause age, subjective health status, and menopause type. Fourth, compared to natural menopause, in the case of artificial menopause, the diagnosis probability of women increased by 2.010 times for thyroid cancer, 3.872 times for breast cancer, and 14.902 times for cervical cancer. Conclusion: For thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and cervical cancer, the probability of cancer diagnosis increases in the case of artificial menopause compared to natural menopause, so it is considered important to avoid experiencing artificial menopause to prevent cancer.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.84 no.6
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• pp.1309-1323
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• 2023

Purpose To assess the quality of four images obtained using single-breath-hold (SBH), single-shot fast spin-echo (SSFSE) and multiple-breath-hold (MBH) SSFSE with and without deep-learning based reconstruction (DLR) in patients with Crohn's disease. Materials and Methods This study included 61 patients who underwent MR enterography (MRE) for Crohn's disease. The following images were compared: SBH-SSFSE with (SBH-DLR) and without (SBH-conventional reconstruction [CR]) DLR and MBH-SSFSE with (MBH-DLR) and without (MBH-CR) DLR. Two radiologists independently reviewed the overall image quality, artifacts, sharpness, and motion-related signal loss using a 5-point scale. Three inflammatory parameters were evaluated in the ileum, the terminal ileum, and the colon. Moreover, the presence of a spatial misalignment was evaluated. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was calculated at two locations for each sequence. Results DLR significantly improved the image quality, artifacts, and sharpness of the SBH images. No significant differences in scores between MBH-CR and SBH-DLR were detected. SBH-DLR had the highest SNR (p < 0.001). The inter-reader agreement for inflammatory parameters was good to excellent (κ = 0.76-0.95) and the inter-sequence agreement was nearly perfect (κ = 0.92-0.94). Misalignment artifacts were observed more frequently in the MBH images than in the SBH images (p < 0.001). Conclusion SBH-DLR demonstrated equivalent quality and performance compared to MBH-CR. Furthermore, it can be acquired in less than half the time, without multiple BHs and reduce slice misalignments.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.113 no.1
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• pp.118-130
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• 2024

Rehabilitation of mining areas can reduce damage to ecosystems. However, the effects of rehabilitation on ecosystem services (ESs) and its contribution to local communities are not well known. Thus, the aims of this study were to clearly identify the ES beneficiaries affected by mining activities, to determine how the beneficiaries profit from surrounding areas in cooperation with local stakeholders, and to manage the rehabilitation areas for the ESs that the beneficiaries want. This study chose 18 ESs (4 provisioning, 7 regulating, 5 cultural, and 2 habitat services) based on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity. A semi-structured questionnaire survey using an 11-point Likert scale was conducted among 87 community residents to investigate social awareness and identify key ESs. The survey results from two local communities showed high awareness and demands mainly on cultural (mental and physical health, aesthetic appreciation, and recreation) and regulating services (local climate and air quality, and moderation of extreme events). These services were related to the daily lives of residents in local communities, provided positive benefits, and potentially improved the residents' future livelihoods. However, the average questionnaire scores were limited to 6-7 points, indicating that the benefits to local communities were meager. The residents' awareness of provisioning service was negative, even if it provided goods and profit opportunities. This indicated a disconnection between local communities and provisioning services due to forest rehabilitation that did not consider local communities that traditionally relied on specific provisioning services before the onset of mining activities. Future forest rehabilitation in abandoned mine areas must consider the welfare of local communities for sustainable use of rehabilitated forests and enhancing ESs. In this study, only a qualitative evaluation based on frequency analyses was conducted. The quantification and valuation of key ESs are warranted in the future to promote ESs from forest rehabilitation in abandoned mine areas. The study results would be useful for developing site-specific ES promotion strategies for reforesting mine areas.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.139-162
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• 2010

In terms of the international air transport, the open skies policy implies freedom in the sky or opening the sky. In the normative respect, the open skies policy is a kind of open-door policy which gives various forms of traffic right to other countries, but on the other hand it is a policy of free competition in the international air transport. Since the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, the United States has signed an open skies agreement with many countries, starting with the Netherlands, so that competitive large airlines can compete in the international air transport market where there exist a lot of business opportunities. South Korea now has an open skies agreement with more than 20 countries. The frequent flyer program (FFP) is part of a broad-based marketing alliance which has been used as an airfare strategy since the U.S. government's airline deregulation. The membership-based program is an incentive plan that provides mileage points to customers for using airline services and rewards customer loyalty in tangible forms based on their accumulated points. In its early stages, the frequent flyer program was focused on marketing efforts to attract customers, but now in the environment of intense competition among airlines, the program is used as an important strategic marketing tool for enhancing business performance. Therefore, airline companies agree that they need to identify customer needs in order to secure loyal customers more effectively. The outcomes from an airline's frequent flyer program can have a variety of effects on international competition. First, the airline can obtain a more dominant position in the air flight market by expanding its air route networks. Second, the availability of flight products for customers can be improved with an increase in flight frequency. Third, the airline can preferentially expand into new markets and thus gain advantages over its competitors. However, there are few empirical studies on the airline frequent flyer program. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the effects of the program on international competition, after reviewing the types of strategic alliance between airlines. Making strategic airline alliances is a worldwide trend resulting from the open skies policy. South Korea also needs to be making open skies agreements more realistic to promote the growth and competition of domestic airlines. The present study is about the performance of the airline frequent flyer program and international competition under the open skies policy. With a sample of five global alliance groups (Star, Oneworld, Wings, Qualiflyer and Skyteam), the study was attempted as an empirical study of the effects that the resource structures and levels of information technology held by airlines in each group have on the type of alliance, and one-way analysis of variance and regression analysis were used to test hypotheses. The findings of this study suggest that both large airline companies and small/medium-size airlines in an alliance group with global networks and organizations are able to achieve high performance and secure international competitiveness. Airline passengers earn mileage points by using non-flight services through an alliance network with hotels, car-rental services, duty-free shops, travel agents and more and show high interests in and preferences for related service benefits. Therefore, Korean airline companies should develop more aggressive marketing programs based on multilateral alliances with other services including hotels, as well as with other airlines.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.89 no.5
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• pp.618-629
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• 2000

This study was carried out to investigate ecological niche of Quercus acuta communities in Bogildo-island from July to October, 1998. This island is occupied by a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. The study on community ecology of Q. acuta, mostly dominant species of subtropical forests, is very important for successful forest management. Sampling areas were selected in 16 quadrats, dominated by Q. acuta to examine the vegetation characteristics(plant identification, D.B.H.) and environmental elements (microtopography, altitude, slope degree, aspect, illumination and soil physicochemical properties). On the basis of data from field surveys, importance values were calculated for the dominance of Q. acuta and volume growth was analyzed by tree ring widths. The results obtained were as follows ; 1. The lists of vascular plants in the investigations were identified as 54 families, 91 genera, 113 species, 9 varieties, 1 formae. It appeared that 45 kinds were evergreen, 6 kinds(Camellia japonica, Ligustrum japonicum, Eurya japonica, Smilax china, Trachelospermum asiaticum var. intermedium, Carex lanceolata) were commonly observed in all plots and 5 species(Cinnamomum japonicum, Ardisia japonica, Cymbidium goeringii, Dryopteris bissetiana, Viburnum erosum) were most highly observed in all plots(over 80%). 2. The dominating species per strata were, Quercus acuta, Castanopsis cuspidata sp. Quercus salicina, Pinus thunbergii, Prunus sargentii in tree layer, Camellia Japonica, Ligustrum japonicum, Quercus acuta, Eurya japonica, Castanopsis cuspidata sp. in subtree layer, Camellia japonica, Ligustrum japonicum, Smilax china, Cinnamomum japonicum, Viburnum erosum in shrub layer and Trachelospermum asiaticum var. intermedium, Ardisia japonica, Carex lanceolata, Camellia japonica(seedlings), Quercus acuta(seedlings) in herb layer, all in descending orders. 3. Quercus acuta could be suggested as shade intolerant tree, considering the distribution in southern, western, nothern and eastern slopes in the descending orders. 4. Mean relative illumination in the forest is 0.89 % and it is relatively low in brightness. 5. Sustainment of Quercus acuta community couldn't be confirmed by judging from their reverse J curve in even-aged forest, as shown in D.B.H. distribution analysis. 6. The result of annual ring width analysis(mean ; 2.44 mm) showed three stages, such as a gentle increasing(1~12 year ; 2.04 mm), a relatively steep increasing(13~22 year ; 2.95 mm) and decreasing or stagnating(23 year after ; 2.41 mm).

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.110-119
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• 2003

Purpose: Radioiodine (I-131) therapy is an effective modality to reduce both recurrence and mortality rates in differentiated thyroid cancer. Whether higher doses shows higher therapeutic responses was still debatable. The purpose of this study was to validate curve-fitting (CF) method measuring maximum permissible dose (MPD) by a biological dosimetry using metaphase analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes. Materials and Methods: Therapeutic effects of MPD was evaluated in 58 patients (49 females and 9 males, mean age $50{\pm}11$ years) of papillary thyroid cancer. Among them 43 patients were treated with ${\Leq}7.4GBq$, while 15 patients with ${\geq}9.25GBq$. The former was defined as low-dose group, and the latter high-dose group. Therapeutic response was defined as complete response when complete disappearance of lesions on follow-up I-131 scan and undetectable serum thyroglobulin levels were found. Statistical comparison between groups were done using chi-square test. P value less than 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: MPD measured by CF method using tracer and therapeutic doses were $13.3{\pm}1.9\;and\;13.8{\pm}2.1GBq$, respectively (p=0.20). They showed a significant correlation (r=0.8, p<0.0001). Exposed doses to blood measured by CF and biological methods were $1.54{\pm}0.03\;and\;1.78{\pm}0.03Gy$ (p=0.01). They also showed a significant correlation (r=0.86, p=0.01). High-dose group showed a significantly higher rate of complete response (12/15, 80%) as compared to the low-dose group (22/43, 51.2%) (p=0.05). While occurrence of side effects was not different between two groups (40% vs. 30.2%, p=0.46). Conclusion: Measurement of MPD using CF method is reliable, and the high-dose I-131 therapy using MPD gains significantly higher therapeutic effects as compared with low-dose therapy.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.39 no.4 s.179
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• pp.369-384
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• 2006

Korean Peninsula, located on the southeastern part of Eurasian plate, belongs to the intraplate region. The characteristics of intraplate earthquake show the low and rare seismicity and the sparse and irregular distribution of epicenters comparing to interplate earthquake. To evaluate the exact seismic activity in intraplate region, long-term seismic data including historical earthquake data should be archived. Fortunately the long-term historical earthquake records about 2,000 years are available in Korea Peninsula. By the analysis of this historical and instrumental earthquake data, seismic activity was very high in 16-18 centuries and is more active at the Yellow sea area than East sea area. Comparing to the high seismic activity of the north-eastern China in 16-18 centuries, it is inferred that seismic activity in two regions shows close relationship. Also general trend of epicenter distribution shows the SE-NW direction. In Korea Peninsula, the first seismic station was installed at Incheon in 1905 and 5 additional seismic stations were installed till 1943. There was no seismic station from 1945 to 1962, but a World Wide Standardized Seismograph was installed at Seoul in 1963. In 1990, Korean Meteorological Adminstration(KMA) had established centralized modem seismic network in real-time, consisted of 12 stations. After that time, many institutes tried to expand their own seismic networks in Korea Peninsula. Now KMA operates 35 velocity-type seismic stations and 75 accelerometers and Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources operates 32 and 16 stations, respectively. Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety and Korea Electric Power Research Institute operate 4 and 13 stations, consisted of velocity-type and accelerometer. In and around the Korean Peninsula, 27 intraplate earthquake mechanisms since 1936 were analyzed to understand the regional stress orientation and tectonics. These earthquakes are largest ones in this century and may represent the characteristics of earthquake in this region. Focal mechanism of these earthquakes show predominant strike-slip faulting with small amount of thrust components. The average P-axis is almost horizontal ENE-WSW. In north-eastern China, strike-slip faulting is dominant and nearly horizontal average P-axis in ENE-WSW is very similar with the Korean Peninsula. On the other hand, in the eastern part of East Sea, thrust faulting is dominant and average P-axis is horizontal with ESE-WNW. This indicate that not only the subducting Pacific Plate in east but also the indenting Indian Plate controls earthquake mechanism in the far east of the Eurasian Plate. Crustal velocity model is very important to determine the hypocenters of the local earthquakes. But the crust model in and around Korean Peninsula is not clear till now, because the sufficient seismic data could not accumulated. To solve this problem, reflection and refraction seismic survey and seismic wave analysis method were simultaneously applied to two long cross-section traversing the southern Korean Peninsula since 2002. This survey should be continuously conducted.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.53-61
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• 2007

This study was investigated factors affecting the pregnancy rates after transfer of pronuclear microinjected embryos for the production of transgenic Korean black goats. Embryo transfer was carried out in 343 recipient Korean black goats from September 1999 to June 2000. Estrus was induced by the insertion of intravaginal progesterone devices $CIDR^(R)$ for 2 weeks. A single injection of 400 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin was administered at 48h before $CIDR^(R)$ removal to increase the proportion of does cycling and ovulation rate. Good quality embryos were prepared by microinjection of DNA into the pronuclei of fertilized goat oocyte and cultured in vitro. Pronuclear microinjected $1{\sim}8$ cell stage embryos were surgically transferred into the oviducts of the recipient at day 4 or 5 following $CIDR^(R)$ removal, and morula to blastocyst stage embryos were surgically transferred into uterus at day 9. Pregnancy was diagnosed by transrectal ultrasound scanning at $20{\sim}30d$ and 8 weeks following embryo transfer. The pregnancy rate was affected by several factors, such as estrus induction, the number of previous transfer, transfer site, stage of CL (corpus luteum), the number of recipient CL, stage of embryos and the number of transferred embryo. The pregnancy rate was significantly higher in recipients that came into estrus naturally than recipients that induced to come into estrus with $CIDR^(R)$(59.1% vs. 36.8%; P<0.05). The pregnancy rate was higher when the embryos were transferred into the left oviduct than transferred into the right oviduct (42.9% vs. 35.3%; P<0.05). The pregnancy rate of recipients with $CH_1$ (early) stage corpus hemorrhagicum in ovary was hi틴or than recipient with $CH_3$ (late) stage hemorrhagicum (47.5% vs. 17.9%; P<0.01). Higher pregnancy rates were obtained by transfer of 1-cell stage embryos into oviduct while late blastocysts (51.6% vs. 66.7%; P<0.01) into uterus. The pregnancy rates when 3 embryos were transferred to recipients were significantly higher than when 2 embryos we.e transferred (47.6% vs. 27.0%; P<0.05). Although there were no significant difference among the group, adhesion of reproductive organs, uterine size, ovulation rate of recipients, presence of large follicle and difficulty of transfer affected pregnancy rate of recipient. Higher pregnancy rates were obtained in the recipients with $8{\sim}15m$ diameter uterine horn as compared to the recipients with <5m diameter or >20mm diameter uterine hem (38.9%, 20% vs. 18.2%), in the recipients with large follicle in the ovulated ovary ipsilaterally (53.6% vs. 37.1%) and in the transfer which was carried out easily (39.2% vs. 27.8%, 0%). In conclusion, the high rate of pregnancy was achieved following transfer of pronuclear microinjected embryos when three or four 1-cell stage embryos were transferred into oviduct with $CH_1$ stage corpus hemorrhagicum in the ovary of recipient which came into estrus naturally.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.167-177
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• 2003

Purpose : To know the trends of antimicrobial susceptibility is critical for antimicrobial treatment. We studied the organisms isolated from blood, urine, stool, and cerebrospinal fluid from 1997 to 2001 to reveal the trends of their antimicrobial susceptibility. Methods : We conducted a retrospective study with isolates obtained from 0~18 year old outpatients and inpatients from 1997 to 2001 at Department of Pediatrics, Hanil general hospital. We gathered the data through the laboratory test files and the origin of microorganisms cultured from blood, urine, stool and cerebrospinal fluid and their antimicrobial susceptibility. Results : Microorganisms were isolated from 226(3.3%) out of 6,974 blood cultures, 365 (8.0%) out of 4,549 urine cultures, 50(1.9%) out of 2,593 stool cultures and 9(1.4%) in 655 cerebrospinal fluid cultures. The most frequently isolated organisms from blood cultures was Staphylococcus epidermidis(33.5%) which was followed by Staphylococcus aureus(19.7%), Escherichia coli(13.8%), and Burkholderia cepacia(9.0%). Among the urine cultures, E. coli was the most common(74.7%) which was followed by Group D Enterococcus(11.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae(7.1%) and Proteus mirabilis(2.5%). The positive stool cultures all yield Salmonella species. Group D Salmonella was obtained most frequently. Among the positive cerebrospinal fluid cultures, Group B Streptococcus was isolated most frequently. Among the 40 cases of S. aureus in blood cultures, 27 cases were methicillin-resistant. The rates of susceptibility for amikacin, ceftizoxime and ceftriaxone of E. coli isolated from blood cultures were 80%, 100% and 60% in 1997 and 60%, 80% and 60% in 2001. The rates of susceptibility for amikacin, ceftizoxime and ceftriaxone of K. pnumoniae isolated from urine cultures. were 80%, 100% and 80% in 1997 and 50%, 83% and 50% in 2001 Enterococcus was isolated from 6.7% to 15.8% and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus was observed in 17% of Group D Enterococcus isolated from urine cultures. The rates of susceptibility for amikacin, ceftizoxime and ceftriaxone of Group D Salmonella were 96%, 96% and 92% during the study period. Conclusion : Among the blood cultures S. epidermidis, S. aureus, E. coli and B. cepacia were isolated in order of frequency and among the urine cultures E. coli, Group D Enterococcus, K. pneumoniae and P. mirabilis were isolated in order of frequency. During the study period there was no big difference in major organisms isolated from blood and urine. The methicillin-resistant S. aureus was observed in 67% of S. aureus isolated from blood cultures but vancomycin-reistant S. aureus or vancomycin intermediate resistant S. aureus was not observed. The rates of susceptibility to amikacin and the third generation cephalosporin of E. coli isolated from blood cultures and K. pneumoniae from urine cultures have decreased. The isolation rates of Group D Enterococcus and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus have increased.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 1996

Purpose : To evaluate the potential advantage for 'sandwich' technique radiotherapy compared to Postoperative radiotherapy in resectable rectal cancer. Materials and Methods : Between January 1989 and Mar 1994, 60 patients with resectable rectal cancer were treated at Inje University Seoul and Sanggye Paik Hospital. Fifty one patients were available for analysis: 20 patients were treated with sandwich technique radiotherapy and 31 patients were treated with Postoperative radiotherapy. In sandwich technique radiotherapy(RT), Patients were treated with preoperative RT 1500 cGy/5fx, followed by immediate curative resection. Patients staged as Astler-Coiler B2, C were considered for postoperative RT with 2500-4500 cGy. in postoperative RT total radiation dose of 4500-6120 cGy, 180 cGy daily at 4-Sweets was delivered. Patients were followed for median period of 25 months. Results : The overall 5-year survival rates for sandwich RT group and postoperative RT group were $60\%$ and $71\%$, respectively(p>0.05). The 5-rear disease free survival rates for each group were $63\%$. There was no difference in local failure rate between two groups($11\%$ versus $7\%$) Incidence of distant metastasis was $11\%$(2/20) in the sandwich technique RT group and $20\%$(6/31) in the postoperative RT group(p>0.05). The frequencies of acute and chronic complications were comparable in both groups. Conclusion : The sandwich technique radiotherapy group shows local recurrence and survival similar to those of Postoperative RT alone group but reduced distant metastasis compared to Postoperative RT group. But long term follow-up and large number of patients is needed to make an any firm conclusion regarding the value of this sandwich technique RT.