• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6407-6412
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• 2015

Purpose: To predict prostatic carcinoma using a logistic regression model on prebiopsy peripheral blood samples. Materials and Methods: Data of a total of 873 patients who consulted Urology Outpatient Clinics of Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital between February 2008 and April 2014 scheduled for prostate biopsy were screened retrospectively. PSA levels, prostate volumes, prebiopsy whole blood cell counts, neutrophil and platelet counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), biopsy results and Gleason scores in patients who had established diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) were evaluated. Results: This study was performed on a total of 873 cases, with an age range 48-76 years, divided into three groups as for biopsy results. with diagnoses of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (n=304, 34.8 %), PCa (n=265, 30.4 %) and histological prostatitis (n=304; 34.8 %). Intra- and intergroup comparative evaluations were performed. White blood cell and neutrophil counts in the histological prostatitis group were significantly higher than those of the BPH and PCa groups (p=0.001; p=0.004; p<0.01). A statistically significant intergroup difference was found for PLR (p=0.041; p<0.05) but not lymphocyte count (p>0.05). According to pairwise comparisons, PLR were significantly higher in the PCa group relative to BPH group (p=0.018, p<0.05, respectively). Though not statistically significant, higher PLR in cases with PCa in comparison with the prostatitis group was remarkable (p=0.067, and p>0.05, respectively). Conclusions: Meta-analyses showed that in patients with PSA levels over 4 ng/ml, positive predictive value of PSA is only 25 percent. Therefore, novel markers which can both detect clinically significant prostate cancer, and also prevent unnecessary biopsies are needed. Relevant to this issue in addition to PSA density, velocity, and PCA3, various markers have been analyzed. In the present study, PLR were found to be the additional predictor of prostatic carcinoma.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.133-141
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• 2001

Adherence of probiotic bacteria to intestinal epithelium is found to be the most principal characteristics among the various physiological functionality. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of bifidobacterial growth properties and condition on the Caco-2 cell adherence and to construct a basic data on adherence-related research. Among 20 strains of bifidobacteris tested, when measured by cell surface hydrophobicity(CSH) and cell agglutination(CA), Bifidobacterium bifidum ATCC29521, Bif. adolescentis K8, and Bif. infantis K9 were selected. Using these strains, variations of Caso-2 cell adherence depending upon experimental condition were analyzed. The results obtained are as follows : Even though Bif. bifidum ATCC29521, Bif. adolescentis K8, and Bif. infantis K9 reached more 85% cell surface hydrophobicity there was no significant difference in cell agglutination, when reached 31.54$\pm$0.54mg/ml. By direct count method for adherence, viable cell count of M3, K1, K2, K8, K9 and K10 reached more 100 counts per 100 Caco-2 cells. When Bif. bifidum ATCC29521, Bif. adolescentistis K8, and Bif. infantis K9 were used to compare the adherence depending upon viable cell counts, reaction time, and growth phase, the more viable cell count, and the more adhered cell counts, the less adherence percentage. In addition, there was no difference in adherence percentage of bifidobacteria when bifidobacteria was incubated from 1 to 8 hrs after Caco-2 cells already formed monolayer. Considering of the effect of growth phase of bifidobacteria on adherence variation, all strains showed the highest adherence during the early stage of stationary phase. In conclusion, adherence of bifidobacteria was affected by strain specificity, viable cell count, and growth activity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.67-72
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• 1993

Three sheep fitted with cannulas in the rumen and the caecum were used in a $3{\times}3$ Latin square design to study the changes in ruminal and caecal microbial populations and their metabolite composition with ammoniated rice straw feeding. The 3 diets contained either 80% untreated rice straw (UTS) or ammoniated rice straw (ATS) and 20% formula feed. These were a control diet (C), a urea supplemented diet (U) containing urea at 1.1% and an ammoniated rice straw diet (AT). Data were analyzed by analysis of variance and means separated by the Student Neumann Kuel's multiple comparison. AT feeding increased ruminal bacterial counts, in particular cellulolytic bacterial counts (p < 0.05) which were 1.8, 2.4 and 7.0 (${\times}10^6/ml$ ruminal fluid) for C, U and AT, respectively. There was an increasing tendency (p < 0.10) in ruminal fungal population with U; values were 2.0, 5.2, 3.1 (${\times}10^3/ml$ ruminal fluid) for C, U and AT, respectively. Ruminal protozoa counts were not significantly (p > 0.05) altered with diets. Caecal total viable bacterial count with AT was about thrice the value with C. Total VFA concentration in the rumen was significantly increased (p < 0.025) (7.7 mmol/dl for C and 8.2 mmol/dl for AT) and correspondingly, pH lowered when AT was fed. Sheep on AT tended to produce less acetate and more butyrate in the rumen without significance (p > 0.05). Similar to the rumen, total VFA concentrations of 4.4, 3.8 and 5.2 mmol/dl were detected, respectively, for C, U and AT. Caecal ammonia-nitrogen concentrations were about six-fold of that in the rumen, though there were no differences (p > 0.05) among treatments.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.747-755
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• 2011

This study was investigated the relationship between the temperature and the mortality of aged (${\geq}65$ yr) during the winter seasons from 1992 to 2007 in Seoul, Korea by utilizing climate data and death records. The study also estimated the future risks by employing the projections of the population in Seoul, Korea and climate change scenario of Korea from 2011 to 2030. The limitation of this study was the impossibility in the prediction of daily mortality counts. Therefore, daily death numbers could be predicted based on the future population projection for Korea and the death records of 2005. The result indicated that risks increased by 0.27%, 0.52%, 0.32% and 0.41% in association with the $1^{\circ}C$ decrease in daily minimum temperature from the mortality counts of total, respiratory, cardiovascular, and cardiorespiratory in the past date while 0.31%, 0.42%, 0.59% and 0.66% in the future. Based on the results obtained from this study, it is concluded that the risk in the future will be higher than the past date although there is an uncertainty in estimating death counts in the future.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.109-117
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• 2016

Purpose : This study was designed to provide basic data of effective sanitization method of sprout vegetable for microbiological safety. Methods : Sanitization treatments were performed by dipping the sprout into chlorine and vinegar water. Microbial analysis were composed of the total plate count(TPC) and coliform group count(CGC). Result : Among chlorine water sanitization, the microbial reduction was largest in 100ppm chlorine water, and its TPC and coliform group count decreased to 6.01 log CFU/g and 5.06 log CFU/g. The effective dipping time in 100ppm chlorine water treatment was 5.97 log CFU/g and 5.91 log CFU/g for 30min and 60min, in which TPC were below the microbiological safety limits of 6.00 log CFU/g. Coliform group counts were decreased to 5.44, 5.46, 5.42 log CFU/g in the dipping the spouts for 30min, 60min and 90min. As a result of sanitizing alfalfa spout by vinegar water, a microbial counts tended to decrease with increasing concentration and the dipping time. The effective concentration of vinegar water was 2% for TPC(6.00 log CFU/g) and 1% for coliform group count(5.20 log CFU/g). With 1% vinegar water treatment, TPC became below the microbiological safety limits in all samples and in particular, the sample treated for 60min and 90min(4.93, 4.54 log CFU/g). While coliform group counts were decreased to 3.91 log CFU/g in the dipping the sprouts for 90min, those were still beyond the permitted limit. Conclusion : To secure the food safety of food service facilities including kindergarten feeding, it is considered that along with the systematic study of effective disinfection method for microbiological control at the preconditioning level of spout vegetable within the range of secured maleficence to human body, and the study regarding the measures to lower the initial microbiological pollution of spout vegetable.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.67-71
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• 2015

Purpose At recently, we enter into the aging society and a age-related disease is increasing. Among that, prevalence of degenerative brain disease like Parkin's disease will be increased. So, many radiopharmaceuticals is developed to diagnosis early and to evaluate the performance of therapeutic drugs. Especially $^{18}F-DOPA$ which involved at dopamine synthesis and function of storage is widely used to the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease as well as brain tumors. in the study, we will evaluate the distribution pattern of $^{18}F-DOPA$ at the striatum by using dynamic study. Materials and Methods We used Biograph Truepoint(Siemens, Germany) as PET/CT scanner, injected a $^{18}F-DOPA$ ($600{\pm}30MBq$) to patient (4men, 6women. $67{\pm}11age$) who visited our hospital from June to September, started 95min dynamic study at same time. after finishing acquisition, we reconstructed PET data with 19 frame every 5 minutes, analysed a average counts at ROI's where set at both striatums, anterior putamen, posterior putamen Results Counts in the cerebellum as the background formed a plateau after 90 minutes from the highest out rapidly reduced to 15 minutes. Counts of anterior putamen and posterior gradually increased but formed a plateau after 60min. A count ratio of Striatum to cerebellum was continuously increased up to more than 95 minutes, A count ratios of an anterior putamen to posterior one formed a plateau after 85 minutes. Conclusion The dynamic acquisition can be possible to evaluate a distribution of the $^{18}F-DOPA$ in the striatum and the VOI analysis through a dynamic acquisition and a variety of patterns. Futhermore, to make a uniformed distribution and count ratio of striatum to cerebellum, a static acquisition will have to start 90minutes later after injection.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.120-127
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• 2024

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to increased mortality rates. To assess this impact, this ecological study aimed to estimate the excess death counts in southern Iran. Methods: The study obtained weekly death counts by linking the National Death Registry and Medical Care Monitoring Center repositories. The P-score was initially estimated using a simple method that involved calculating the difference between the observed and expected death counts. The interrupted time series analysis was then used to calculate the mean relative risk (RR) of death during the first year of the pandemic. Results: Our study found that there were 5571 excess deaths from all causes (P-score=33.29%) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 48.03% of these deaths directly related to COVID-19. The pandemic was found to increase the risk of death from all causes (RR, 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 to 1.33), as well as in specific age groups such as those aged 35-49 (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.32), 50-64 (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.28 to 1.49), and ≥65 (RR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.12 to 1.32) years old. Furthermore, there was an increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases (RR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.22). Conclusions: There was a 26% increase in the death count in southern Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than half of these excess deaths were not directly related to COVID-19, but rather other causes, with cardiovascular diseases being a major contributor.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.10-20
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• 2012

This study shows how to estimate AADT(Annual Average Daily Traffic) on temporary count data using new grouping method. This study deals with clustering permanent traffic counts using monthly adjustment factor, daily adjustment factor and a percentage of hourly volume. This study uses a percentage of hourly volume comparing with other studies. Cluster analysis is used and 5 groups is suitable. First, make average of monthly adjustment factor, average of daily adjustment factor, a percentage of hourly volume for each group. Next estimate AADT using 24 hour volume(not holiday) and two adjustment factors. Goodness of fit test is used to find what groups are applicable. MAPE(Mean Absolute Percentage Error) is 8.7% in this method. It is under 1.5% comparing with other method(using adjustment factors in same section). This method is better than other studies because it can apply all temporary counts data.

• Journal of Korean Society of Industrial and Systems Engineering
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.32-38
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• 2023

This study investigates the influence of particulate matter concentrations on the incidence of asthma, focusing on the delayed onset of symptoms and subsequent medical consultations. Analysis incorporates a four-day lag from the initiation of fine dust exposure and compares asthma patterns before and after the World Health Organization's (WHO) classification of fine dust as a Group 1 carcinogen in November 2013. Utilizing daily PM10 data and asthma-related medical visit counts in Seoul from 2008 to 2016, the study additionally incorporates Google search frequencies and newspaper article counts on fine dust to assess public awareness. Results reveal a surge in search frequencies and article publications after WHO announcement, indicating heightened public interest. To standardize the long-term asthma occurrence trend, the daily asthma patient numbers are ratio-adjusted based on annual averages. The analysis uncovers an increase in asthma medical visits 2 to 3 days after fine dust events. Additionally, greater public awareness of fine dust hazards correlates with a significant reduction in asthma occurrence after such events, even within 'normal' fine dust concentrations. Notably, behavioral changes, like limiting outdoor activities, contribute to this decrease. This study highlights the importance of analyzing accumulated medical data over an extended period to identify general public behavioral patterns, deviating from conventional survey methods in social sciences. Future research aims to extend data collection beyond 2016, exploring recent trends and considering the potential impact of decreased fine dust awareness amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.71-81
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• 1995

Consecutive brain 〔Tc-99m〕ECD SPECT studies before and after acetazolamide (Diamox) administration have been performed with patients for the evaluation of cerebrovascular hemodynamic reserve. However, the quantitaitve potential of SPECT Diamox imaging is limited as a result of degrading fractors such as finite detector resolution, attenuation, scatter, poor counting statistics, and methods of data analysis. Making physical measurements in phantoms filled with known amounts of radioactivity can help characterize and potentially quantify the sensitivities. However, it is often very difficult to make a realistic phantom simulating patients in clinical situations. By computer simulation, we studied the sensitivities of ECD SPECT before and after Diamox administration. The sensitivity is defined as ($\Delta$N/N)/($\Delta$S/S)$\times$100％, where $\Delta$N denotes the differences in mean counts between post-and pre-Diamox in the measured data, N denotes the mean counts before Diamox in the measure data, $\Delta$S denotes the differences in mean counts between post-and pre-Diamox in the model, and S denotes the mean counts before Diamox in the model. In clinical Diamox studies, the percentage changes of radioactivity could be determined to measure changes in radioactivity concentration by Diamox after subtracting pre-from post-Diamox data. However, the optimal amount of subtraction for 100％ sensitivity is not known since this requires a thorough sensitivity analysis by computer simulation. For consecutive brain SPECT imaging model before and after Diamox, when 30％ increased radioactivity concentrations were assingned for Diamox effect in model, the sensitivities were measured as 51.03, 73.4, 94.00, 130.74％ for 0, 100, 150, 200％ subtraction, respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the partial voluming effects due to finite detector resolution and statistical noise result in a significant underestimation of radioactivity measurements and the amount of underestimation depends on the. ％ increase of radioactivity concentration and ％ subtraction of pre-from post-Diamox data. The 150％ subtraction appears to be optimal in clinical situations where we expect approximately 30％ changes in radioactivity concentration. The computer simulation may be a powerful technique to study sensitivities of ECD SPECT before and after Diamox administration.