• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.72-80
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• 2020

Purpose: Proximal gastrectomy (PG) is a function-preserving surgery in cases of proximally located early-stage gastric cancer. Because gastroesophageal reflux is a major pitfall of this operation, we devised a modified esophagogastrostomy (EG) anastomosis to fix the distal part of the posterior esophageal wall to the proximal part of the anterior stomach wall to produce an anti-reflux mechanism; we named this the SPADE operation. This study aimed to show demonstrate the clinical outcomes of the SPADE operation and compare them to those of previous PG cases. Materials and Methods: Case details of 56 patients who underwent PG between January 2012 and March 2018 were retrospectively reviewed: 30 underwent conventional esophagogastrostomy (CEG) anastomosis using a circular stapler, while 26 underwent the SPADE operation. Early postoperative clinical outcome-related reflux symptoms, endoscopic findings, and postoperative complications were compared in this case-control study. Results: Follow-up endoscopy showed more frequent reflux esophagitis cases in the CEG group than in the SPADE group (30% vs. 15.3%, P=0.19). Similarly, bile reflux (26.7% vs. 7.7%, P=0.08) and residual food (P=0.01) cases occurred more frequently in the CEG group than in the SPADE group. In the CEG group, 13 patients (43.3%) had mild reflux symptoms, while 3 patients (10%) had severe reflux symptoms. In the SPADE group, 3 patients (11.5%) had mild reflux symptoms, while 1 had severe reflux symptoms (absolute difference, 31.8%; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-29.64; P=0.01). Conclusions: A novel modified EG, the SPADE operation, has the potential to decrease gastroesophageal reflux following a PG.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• 제14권3호
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• pp.211-224
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• 2018

In this paper, a predictive method accounting for the scaling effects of rockfill materials in the numerical deformation analysis of rockfill dams is developed. It aims to take into consideration the differences of engineering properties of rockfill materials between in situ and laboratory conditions in the deformation analysis. The developed method is based on the modification of model parameters used in the chosen material model, which is, in this study, an elasto-plastic model with double yield surfaces, i.e., the modified Hardening Soil model. Datasets of experimental tests are collected from previous studies, and a new dataset of the Nam Ngum 2 dam project for investigating the scaling effects of rockfill materials, including particle size, particle gradation and density, is obtained. To quantitatively consider the influence of particle gradation, the coarse-to-fine content (C/F) concept is proposed in this study. The simple relations between the model parameters and particle size, C/F and density are formulated, which enable us to predict the mechanical properties of prototype materials from laboratory tests. Subsequently, a 3D finite element analysis of the Nam Ngum 2 concrete face slab rockfill dam at the end of the construction stage is carried out using two sets of model parameters (1) based on the laboratory tests and (2) in accordance with the proposed method. Comparisons of the computed results with dam monitoring data indicate that the proposed method can provide a simple but effective framework to take account of the scaling effect in dam deformation analysis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권20호
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• pp.8793-8796
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• 2014

Objective: To explore the influence of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level on therapeutic outcome and diagnosis/prognostic value in patients with cervical cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 37 patients diagnosed with cervical cancer by biopsy were selected and treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adopted before treatment to assess VEGF levels, and its relationships with clinicopathological features and short-term therapeutic effects were analyzed. Results: The median VEGF level in 37 patients before treatment was 647.15 (393.35~1125.16) pg/mL. Serum VEGF levels in patients aged <50 years, in International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIa~IVa, with lymph node metastasis and tumor size >4 cm were significantly increased (P<0.05). The complete remission (CR) rate was 48.7% (18/37), partial remission (PR) rate was 35.1% (13/37), stable disease (SD) rate was 13.5% (5/37) and progressive disease (PD) rate was 2.70% (1/37), so the objective remission rate (ORR) after treatment was 83.8% (31/37). Logistic regression analysis showed that tumor size and serum VEGF level before treatment were independent risk factors affecting the therapeutic outcome, and the higher the level of serum VEGF, the worse the prognosis when tumor size>4 cm. Some 56.8% of patients manifested with myelosuppression, 37.8% with leucopenia, 24.3% with thrombocytopenia, 5.41% with diarrhea, 46.0% with nausea and vomiting, 21.6% with hair loss and 8.11% with hepatic and renal injury during the treatment. Conclusions: Serum VEGF level may reflect the degree of malignancy of cervical cancer and predict therapeutic effect, which is of great importance to cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.867-872
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• 2012

Background: $FOXP3^+$ regulatory T cells (Tregs) inhibit effector T cell functions and are implicated in tumour progression. However, together with microvessel density (MVD) they remain controversial prognostic predictors for renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and potential associations have yet to be determined. The objective of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of Tregs and MVD and their potential relationship in RCCs. Design: Paraffin-embedded tissues from 62 RCC patients were analysed using immunohistochemistry to detect $FOXP3^+$ lymphocytes, and double immunohistochemistry to detect different microvessel types in the tumour interior, rim and normal kidney tissue, and their correlation with clinicopathological characteristics. Survival analysis was also performed. Results: The presence of $FOXP3^+$ cells in the tumour interior or the rim showed no correlation with death from RCC and other pathological characteristics. Negative correlations were noted between the immature MVD in the tumour interior or the rim and tumour size, tumour stage and overall survival; however, there was no correlation with the nuclear grade or pathological type. A positive correlation between $FOXP3^+$ Tregs and immature MVD (r=0.363, P=0.014) and mature MVD (r=0.383, P=0.009) was confirmed in the tumour interior. However, there was no correlation between $FOXP3^+$ Tregs and mature MVD (r=0.281, P=0.076) or immature MVD (r=0.064, P=0.692) in the tumour rim. Conclusions: In this study, a positive correlation between the presence of $FOXP3^+$ Tregs and immature and mature MVD in RCC was confirmed, which suggests a link between suppression of immunity, tumour angiogenesis and poor prognosis.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제63권8호
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• pp.329-334
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• 2020

Background: Birth asphyxia is a leading cause of neonatal mortality. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels may have a predictive role in the identification and prevention of hypoxic disorders, as they increase in cases of ischemia of the liver, heart, brain, bowel, and kidney. Purpose: This study aimed to assess the value of IMA levels as a diagnostic marker for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Methods: Sixty newborns who fulfilled 3 or more of the clinical and biochemical criteria and developed HIE as defined by Levene staging were included in our study as the asphyxia group. Neonates with congenital malformation, systemic infection, intrauterine growth retardation, low-birth weight, cardiac or hemolytic disease, family history of neurological diseases, congenital or perinatal infections, preeclampsia, diabetes, and renal diseases were excluded from the study. Sixty healthy neonates matched for gestational age and with no maternal history of illness, established respiration at birth, and an Apgar score ≥7 at 1 and 5 minutes were included as the control group. IMA was determined by double-antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of a cord blood sample collected within 30 minutes after birth. Results: Cord blood IMA levels were higher in asphyxiated newborns than in controls (250.83±36.07 pmol/mL vs. 120.24±38.9 pmol/mL). Comparison of IMA levels by HIE stage revealed a highly significant difference among them (207.3±26.65, 259.28±11.68, 294.99±4.41 pmol/mL for mild, moderate, and severe, respectively). At a cutoff of 197.6 pmol/mL, the sensitivity was 84.5%, specificity was 86%, positive predictive value was 82.8%, negative predictive value was 88.3%, and area under the curve was 0.963 (P<0.001). Conclusion: IMA levels can be a reliable marker for the early diagnosis of neonatal HIE and can be a predictor of injury severity.

• 품질경영학회지
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• 제44권4호
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• pp.833-843
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of smart home service using contingent valuation method that is the method evaluating the value of service which will be provided in the future. Using this method, this study suggests proper price and market value of smart home service through figuring out customer's willingness to pay. Methods: To estimate willingness to pay for smart home service, this study uses double bounded dichotomous choice question. The survey was conducted for 2 months from December in 2015 to February in 2016. A total of 269 copies were used to estimate through R-programming. Results: The results of this study are as follows; Gender(especially woman), income, proposed price are the factors which affecting willingness to pay. As the result of this study, average price of willingness to pay for smart home service estimates as \29,653. Comparing with high-speed internet bundling service fee, this estimated price for smart home service is appropriate level for customers to accept. Conclusion: This study estimates consumer's willingness to pay for smart home service which is in the market entry stage. In corporate side, this study might be meaningful for estimating investment scale and profit. Also it could provide basis for establishing strategic policy to develop smart home service market in government side.

• 한국소음진동공학회논문집
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.340-349
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• 2016

A coupled room system consists of adjacent rooms and apertures where the sound energy is exchanged between the two rooms. Acoustically, a coupled room system shows a non-exponential decay profile. Most of the related researches have been to analyze the acoustic properties of two-room coupled system so far whereas three-room coupled system were seldom studied. In this regard, this paper aims to analyse the distribution of sound pressure level, sound decay curve of three-room coupled system and sound energy flow between them by using the acoustic diffusion model and to further verify them through experiments. Firstly, the sound pressure level distribution and mean sound pressure level in the steady-state condition are analyzed at various frequencies and source locations. Good agreements are observed in both experiments and analysis results. Secondly, two double slope effect quantifiers of sound attenuation, LDT/EDT and LDT/T10 are compared at various frequencies and for different source locations. The result indicates that LDT/T10, less affected by the early reflection patterns than LDT/EDT, is more suitable to the analysis and experiments of a multi-slope sound decay curve. Lastly, the sound energy flow in each room is analyzed based on the acoustic diffusion model. After the early decay stage, the sound energy is observed to flow from the room with a long reverberation time to the room with a short one.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.566-571
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• 2008

Calcineurin (Cn) is a calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine/threonine protein phosphatase that has diverse functions in different cell types and organisms. We screened proteins interacting with the C. elegans CnA homolog, TAX-6, by the yeast two-hybrid system. CNP-3 (Calcineurin interacting protein-3) is a novel protein that physically interacts with the catalytic domain of TAX-6. It is strongly expressed in the nuclei of intestine, hypodermis, dorsal uterine regions and spermatheca. Expression begins around the 60-cell stage and proceeds during all larval stages and the adult. To elucidate the biological function of cnp-3 we isolated a cnp-3 deletion mutant. Since CNP-3 binds CnA, we looked at factors associated with calcineurin loss-of-function mutants, such as brood size, body size, serotonin- and levamisole-mediated egg-laying behavior. The cnp-3(jh145) single mutant had no gross defects compared to wild-type animal. However, the phenotypes of the double mutants, tax-6(p675);cnp-3(jh145) and cnb-1(jh103);cnp-3(jh145), were more severe in terms of brood size, body size and serotonin-mediated egg-laying defects than tax-6(p675) and cnb-1(jh103), respectively. These results suggest that dysfunction of cnp-3 enhances certain calcineurin loss-of-function phenotypes in C. elegans.

• 패션비즈니스
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• 제18권2호
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• pp.166-182
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to develop a wedding dress design using digital clothing program to produce an actual dress. The level of actualization of the wedding dress design through digital clothing was evaluated by comparing the shape, ornament details, material, and tone. Also, the direction of improvement was sought by apprehending the limitations for the future of wedding dress design created by digital clothing. In order to evaluate the level of actualization on major design techniques of wedding dress, design planning of 4 dresses was performed based on the major images of wedding dresses. Virtual dress was created using DC Suite program and an actual wedding dress was produced using the pattern created in the process of virtual dress designing. The wedding dress designed by digital clothing was superior in silhouette or expression of pleats, but they rather lacked in expressing corsage, 3-dimensional objects, sheen material or double material. However, by supplementing a few functions, digital clothing can be effectively utilized in wedding dress design with the convenience and speed of digital operation. The digital clothing performs rapid production in the design development stage, modifies simply and confirms in real time and is highly effective, Therefore, if a program designed for wedding dress is developed, its effectiveness will be improved to maximize the customer satisfaction, and it will significantly reduce the time and cost which will make a great contribution to the wedding industry.

• 한국환경농학회지
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• 제35권4호
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• pp.302-305
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• 2016

BACKGROUND: The northeast district of China, especially Liaoning province, Jilin province, and Heilongjiang province, is one of the largest agricultural production regions in China. These regions play a significant role in ensuring food security. Accumulated temperature such as growing degree days (GDD) is an important environmental factor for plant growth and yield. Therefore, in this study, temporal and spatial distribution of GDD for maize was examined as a basis to estimate the growth and yield of maize in these regions. METHODS AND RESULTS: Meteorological date produced by NASA (MERRA-2) was used to estimate GDD of maize at this study sites. The GDD was calculated from sowing (May 1) to harvesting (Sep. 30). The average GDD of this region between 2010 and 2015 was $1323.0^{\circ}C$ day (595.3-1838.9). The spatial distribution of GDD showed a similar pattern during the different years surveyed. Double cropping for maize could be in only Liaoning province, northwestern Jilin province, and western and eastern Heilongjiang province where the GDD was over $1600^{\circ}C$day. However, The GDD in eastern Heilongjiang province was varied by year. CONCLUSION: The GDD of maize in northeast district of China was varied spatially, but similar among recent six years at the same region. This result can be used to predict growth stage and yield of maize at these regions.