• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1415-1419
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• 2016

The tongue has been globally considered as an indicator of general health for millennia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of tongue lesions in an Iranian population. In this retrospective study, data from 6,435 oral biopsy reports over a 22-year period (1992-2014) were retrieved from archives of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Department, Shahid Beheshti Dental School, Tehran, Iran. These reports were analyzed according to age, sex, type of lesion and location. Prevalence of tongue lesions were reported as percentages. Out of total oral lesions, 238 (3.7%) were found in the tongue, with the incidence peak (42%) being between 41-60 years. Men constituted 53% and women 47%of patients. The youngest patient was a 3-year-old girl with pyogenic granuloma and the oldest one was a 93-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). SCC was the most common (25%) lesion generally found in the lateral border of the tongue with a male predilection. The second and third most prevalent lesions of the tongue were benign keratosis (frictional keratosis) (13.4%) and leukoplakia (13%).White-red lesions (38.6%) were the most frequent subgroup followed by neoplastic lesions (28%). Moreover, irritation fibroma, non-specific ulcers, squamous papilloma, and hemangioma were found as the most frequent lesions in their related subgroups.Given the high rate of SCC of the tongue in Iranian patients, this area should be examined more carefully by dental practitioners and physicians.

• International Journal of Control, Automation, and Systems
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.453-459
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• 2008

The neural network is currently being used throughout numerous control system fields. However, it is not easy to obtain an input-output pattern when the neural network is used for the system of a single feedback controller and it is difficult to obtain satisfactory performance with when the load changes rapidly or disturbance is applied. To resolve these problems, this paper proposes a new mode to implement a neural network controller by installing a real object for control and an algorithm for this, which can replace the existing method of implementing a neural network controller by utilizing activation function at the output node. The real plant object for controlling of this mode implements a simple neural network controller replacing the activation function and provides the error back propagation path to calculate the error at the output node. As the controller is designed using a simple structure neural network, the input-output pattern problem is solved naturally and real-time learning becomes possible through the general error back propagation algorithm. The new algorithm applied neural network controller gives excellent performance for initial and tracking response and shows a robust performance for rapid load change and disturbance, in which the permissible error surpasses the range border. The effect of the proposed control algorithm was verified in a test that controlled the speed of a motor equipped with a high speed computing capable DSP on which the proposed algorithm was loaded.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2973-2977
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• 2016

Opisthorchis viverrini is still a serious problem in Northeastern and Northern Thailand. Active surveillance is required to determine updated data for further prevention and control planning. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the prevalence and risk factors for O. viverrini in three provinces, Northeastern Thailand. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during October 2015 to March 2016 at Kaeng Sanam Nang district of Nakhon Ratchasima province, Waeng Noi district of Khon Kaen province, and Khon Sawan district of Chaiyaphum province, Thailand. Stool samples were examined by using a modified Kato-Katz Thick smear technique. From a total of 978 participants screened, O. viverrini infection was found in 1.74%, the majority opf positive cases being male (6.62%), age group 51-60 years old (4.21%), educated at primary school (8.43%), occupied with agriculture (9.62%),having an income <4,000 baht per month (4.82%), and living in Khon Sawan district (8.43%). Participants had a high knowledge level (42.43%), good attitude level (34.76%), and fair level (38.04%). The present study indicates the O. viverrini infection rate is low, but elderly males with primary school education involved in agriculture are still frequently effected particularly in Khon Sawan district. Therefore, this risk group requires behavior modification and continued monitoring.

• Journal of Oral Medicine and Pain
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.116-124
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• 2017

Purpose: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a disabling pain that mostly occurs in elderly women, but rarely in men. It is characterized by an unremitting oral burning sensation and pain without detectable oral mucosal changes. We investigated the clinical and hematologic features of middle-aged men with BMS, and compared the results to those of men with oral mucositis. Methods: Five men with BMS ($48.60{\pm}6.19years$) and five age-matched controls with oral mucositis ($49.80{\pm}15.26years$) underwent clinical and psychological evaluations and blood tests. Psychological status was evaluated using the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised. Cortisol, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were determined from the blood samples. Results: ADH level was significantly lower in men with BMS than in the controls. ADH levels correlated with testosterone (p<0.01), and ACTH levels strongly correlated with ESR (p<0.05). Progesterone level positively correlated with FSH and LH levels. Pain intensity on a visual analogue scale correlated with estradiol level only in men with BMS. Among psychological factors, the obsessive-compulsive disorder, interpersonal-sensitivity, and anxiety scores were higher in men with BMS than in the controls (p<0.05). However, no correlations were observed between the psychological and hematologic factors in both groups. The BMS symptoms presented only on the tongue, with the lateral border being the most prevalent area. Conclusions: Men with BMS may experience dysregulated endocrinologic or psychoneuroendocrinologic interactions, which might affect oral BMS symptoms, aggravating the severity of the burning sensation.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.680-686
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• 2006

Document images captured by scanners have only skewing distortion. But camera captured document images have not only skew but also vignetting effect and geometric distortion. Vignetting effect, which makes the border areas to be darker than the center of the image, make it difficult to separate characters from the document images. But this effect has being decreased, as the lens manufacturing skill is developed. Geometric distortion, occurred by the mismatch of angle and center position between the document image and the camera, make the shape of characters to be distorted, so that the character recognition is more difficult than the case of using scanner. In this paper, we propose a method that can increase the performance of character recognition by correcting the geometric distortion of document images using a linear approximation which changes the quadrilateral region to the rectangle one. The proposed method also determine the quadrilateral transform region automatically, using the alignment of character lines and the skewed angles of characters located in the edges of each character line. Proposed method, therefore, can correct the geometric distortion without getting positional information from camera.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.27-27
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• 2003

Lake Texoma is located on the border of southern Oklahoma and northern Texas. It has 93,000 surface acres, and is a focus of the recreation, and farming industries in the region. There are potential stressors around the Lake Texoma watershed that may cause adverse ecological effects in the lake. System assimilative capacity (SAC) is the ability of abiotic and biotic processes to atteuniate the stressors. SAC Exceeded indicates potential of occuring adverse eco-effects. A number of representative chemical release sites and stressor sources in the surrounding watershed were characterized, and several impact sites having stressors sources, such as being near agriculture, landfills, housing areas, oil production fields and heavy use recreational activity, were selected for surface water, sediment, and groundwater monitoring. A paired reference site, having similar physical characteristics as its impact site, was also chosen based on its proximity to the impact site. Lake water samples were collected at locations identified as marina entrance, gasoline filling station, and boat dock at five marinas selected on Lake Texoma from September 1999 to December 2001. Paired water and sediment samples were also collected. Groundwater samples were collected at about 70 producing monitoring wells. Water quality parameters measured were inorganics (nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate, ammonia, sulfate, and chloride), dissolved methane, total organic carbon (TOC) (or DOC), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and BTEX, and a suite of metals. Biotic communities were evaluated at impact and reference sites. Five basic components were measured; two terrestirial components (plants and bird comminitires) and three aquatic components (benthic inverbrates, litteral-zone fishes, ecosystem attribures). Potential impacts to these comminites were evaluated.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.8-16
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• 1984

The work was conducted with tole purpose of investigation on the development pattern of epididymis in accordance with the growth of meat-type cockerels. 1. Histological features of various ductules in epididymis of the cockerel on the age of weeks were as follow: within 10 weeks after hatching rete testis and connecting ductules were well developed but efferent ductules were observed in immature form. During 10th to 20th week, the lining epithelium of various ductules in epididymis was in the developing stage near to the mature form. From 21th week, various ductules were abruptly matured. Lumen of rete testis was lined by simple squamous or simple columnar epithelial cells and that of efferent ductules, having many folds and being larger than any others, were lined by ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelium with ciliated columnar cells, clear cells and basal cells were noted. Luminal epithelium of connecting ductules was composed of ciliated low pseudostratified columnar epithelial cells, ciliated columnar cells, clear cells and basal cells. The luminal surface of epididymal ducts was pseudostratified columnar epithelium and which was composed of high columnar cells and basal cells. 2. In the India ink absorption test, India ink granules were noted above the nucleus of some cells in the efferent ductules and the connecting ductules at 7 hours after administration of India ink to the mature epididymis, but not absorbed in the other ductules. The granules reactive to acid phosphatase were most abundant in some epithelial cells of efferent ductules and connecting ductules, especially above the nucleus of cells. The granules reactive to alkaline phosphatase were noted on the luminal border of efferent ductules. The granules reactive to PAS were scattered in the epithelial cells of efferent ductules and connecting ductules.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 2009

The aim of the present study was to investigate antimalarial drug pressure resulting from the clinical use of different antimalarials in Thailand. The phenotypic diversity of the susceptibility profiles of antimalarials, i.e., chloroquine (CQ), quinine (QN), mefloquine (MQ), and artesunate (ARS) in Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected during the period from 1988 to 2003 were studied. P. falciparum isolates from infected patients were collected from the Thai-Cambodian border area at different time periods (1988-1989, 1991-1992, and 2003), during which 3 different patterns of drug use had been implemented: MQ+sulphadoxine (S)+pyrimethamine (P), MQ alone and MQ+ARS, respectively. The in vitro drug susceptibilities were investigated using a method based on the incorporation of $[^3H]$ hypoxanthine. A total of 50 isolates were tested for susceptibilities to CQ, QN, MQ, and ARS. Of these isolates, 19, 16, and 15 were adapted during the periods 1988-1989, 1991-1993, and 2003, respectively. P. falciparum isolates collected during the 3 periods were resistant to CQ. Sensitivities to MQ declined from 1988 to 2003. In contrast, the parasite was sensitive to QN, and similar sensitivity profile patterns were observed during the 3 time periods. There was a significantly positive but weak correlation between the $IC_{50}$ values of CQ and QN, as well as between the $IC_{50}$, values of QN and MQ. Drug pressure has impact on sensitivity of P. falciparum to MQ. A combination therapy of MQ and ARS is being applied to reduce the parasite resistance, and also increasing the efficacy of the drug.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.216-223
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• 2005

In this study, several kinds of volatile amines in ambiant air were collected and their concentrations were expected from the calibration curves prepared by standard solutions of 7 amines by the official measuring method prescribed in Japanese Offensive Odor Law. The obtained calibration curves showed a good linearity and the detection limit of trimethyl amine was found to be about 0.033 ppb (0.040 ng) in case of 50 liters air. It means that trimethyl amine could be detected with the concentration of lower than its permitting level at the border line of companies. As typical examples of measuring amines in air, results of investigation of two sewage works and one rendering plant around the capital area indicated that 4 kinds of amines, i.e. methyl amine, dimethyl amine, trimethyl amine and isopropyl amine were detectable and concentrations of trimethyl amine at the primary sedimentation pond and sludge dewatering building of the sewage plant A showed 9.07 ppb and 7.79 ppb respectively, being over the concentration of odor strength 2.5, And the aeration tank, excrement input facility and indoor of maintenance room of excrement process building in the sewage plant B showed 70.0 ppb of dimethyl amine and 2.44 ppb of trimethyl amine.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.11-21
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• 2006

The adjustable dental impression trays were made for being adjusted their width automatically along the width of patient's dental arch. The purpose of this study was to investigate the retentive force of adjustable dental impression trays made of different synthetic resin materials. Three pairs of adjustable trays were made of ABS(acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) synthetic resin, polyurethane synthetic resin and polycarbonate synthetic resin with a hole and without a rim on the border area of them. The experiment was done with the horse-shoe shaped metal plate to pull out the set impression body from the tray jig which was made for holding the tray on the lower part of Universal Testing Machine(UTM, Zwick Z020, Zwick Co., Germany). After the alginate impression in the tray was allowed to set four minutes, a tensile force was applied at right angles to the tray which had been previously seated on the jig. The force was applied to measure a maximum force by use of UTM at a constant strain rate 100mm per minute. The results obtained in this study were as follows : 1. The upper trays were showed higher retentive force than lower trays in three tray materials. 2. There was no significant difference in the retentive force of the tray materials(p>0.05).