• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5901-5904
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• 2013

Objective: To compare the effectiveness of different methods of recall for repeat Pap smear among women who had normal smears in the previous screening. Design: Prospective randomized controlled study. Setting: All community clinics in Klang under the Ministry of Health Malaysia. Participants: Women of Klang who attended cervical screening and had a normal Pap smear in the previous year, and were due for a repeat smear were recruited and randomly assigned to four different methods of recall for repeat smear. Intervention: The recall methods given to the women to remind them for a repeat smear were either by postal letter, registered letter, short message by phone (SMS) or phone call. Main Outcome Measures: Number and percentage of women who responded to the recall within 8 weeks after they had received the recall, irrespective whether they had Pap test conducted. Also the numbers of women in each recall method that came for repeat Pap smear. Results: The rates of recall messages reaching the women when using letter, registered letter, SMS and phone calls were 79%, 87%, 66% and 68%, respectively. However, the positive responses to recall by letter, registered letter, phone messages and telephone call were 23.9%, 23.0%, 32.9% and 50.9%, respectively (p<0.05). Furthermore, more women who received recall by phone call had been screened (p<0.05) compared to those who received recall by postal letter (OR=2.38, CI=1.56-3.62). Conclusion: Both the usual way of sending letters and registered letters had higher chances of reaching patients compared to using phone either for sending messages or calling. The response to the recall method and uptake of repeat smear, however, were highest via phone call, indicating the importance of direct communication.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10643-10646
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• 2015

Background: To study the relationship between mammographic findings and clinical/pathologic features in women with 1-15mm sized invasive breast cancer. Materials and Methods: We investigated a consecutive series of 134 cases diagnosed in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital in 2007. Mammographic findings were classified into five groups as follows :1) stellate mass without calcification; 2) non-stellate mass without calcification; 3) intermediate suspicious calcification with or without associated mass; 4) higher probability malignant calcification with or without associated mass; 5) focal asymmetry/distortion without associated calcification. Associations between mammographic and clinical/pathological features (menopause status/family history/histologic grade/lymph node status and ER/PR/HER2 status) was analyzed through logistic regression and chi square tests. Results: Compared to the stellate mass without calcification group, higher probability malignant calcification patients were associated significantly with a positive lymph node status, always presenting in patients who were non-menopausal and with a family history of carcinoma. Conclusions: Higher probability malignant calcifications with or without associated tumor masses are associated with clinical/pathologic features of poor prognosis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1064-1071
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• 2022

Arabinogalactans have diverse biological properties and can be used as pharmaceutical agents. Most arabinogalactans are composed of β-(1→3)-galactan, so it is particularly important to identify β-1,3-galactanases that can selectively degrade them. In this study, a novel exo-β-1,3-galactanase, named PoGal3, was screened from Penicillium oxalicum sp. 68, and hetero-expressed in P. pastoris GS115 as a soluble protein. PoGal3 belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 43 (GH43) and has a 1,356-bp gene length that encodes 451 amino acids residues. To study the enzymatic properties and substrate selectivity of PoGal3, β-1,3-galactan (AG-P-I) from larch wood arabinogalactan (LWAG) was prepared and characterized by HPLC and NMR. Using AG-P-I as substrate, purified PoGal3 exhibited an optimal pH of 5.0 and temperature of 40℃. We also discovered that Zn²⁺ had the strongest promoting effect on enzyme activity, increasing it by 28.6%. Substrate specificity suggests that PoGal3 functions as an exo-β-1,3-galactanase, with its greatest catalytic activity observed on AG-P-I. Hydrolytic products of AG-P-I are mainly composed of galactose and β-1,6-galactobiose. In addition, PoGal3 can catalyze hydrolysis of LWAG to produce galacto-oligomers. PoGal3 is the first enzyme identified as an exo-β-1,3-galactanase that can be used in building glycan blocks of crucial glycoconjugates to assess their biological functions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.11
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• pp.1484-1489
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• 2014

A novel esterase gene, est01, was successfully unearthed from a biogas digester microbiota metagenomic library. The 1,194 bp est01 gene encodes a protein of 44,804 Da (designated Est01). The amino acid sequence of Est01 shows only moderate (33%) identity to a lipase/esterase. Phylogenetic analysis and biochemical characterization confirmed that Est01 is a new member of family VIII esterases. The purified Est01 from recombinant Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) showed high hydrolytic activity against short-chain fatty acid esters, suggesting that it is a typical carboxylesterase rather than a lipase. Furthermore, the Est01 was even active at $10^{\circ}C$ (43% activity remained), with the optimal temperature at $20^{\circ}C$, and had a broad pH range from 5.0 to 10.0, with the optimal pH of 8.0. These properties suggest that Est01 is a cold-adaptive esterase and could have good potential for low-temperature hydrolysis application.

• (The)Korea Educational Review
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.157-182
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• 2012

As more migrants stay for a longer term or settle in Korea through marriage, labor contract, defeat of North Korea, etc, the discourse on the migration policies gets more complicated and expands further beyond the issue of their adaptation to the Korean culture and their rights to encompass their families and children. The social integration policies for children of migrant families in Korea have been mainly led by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. This paper will look at the challenges that children with migrant background face and their problems while reviewing the policies on children with migrant background in a critical perspective. In conclusion, it gives some suggestions to help establish more open society with multi-cultural values espoused.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.41-55
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• 2010

Objectives: This study was conducted to identify the characteristics of health behavior and self-esteem and the relationship between the two factors among elementary school students with multi-cultural family background. Participants: Survey participants were 87 multi-cultural family children who lived in Seoul and Kyoungi areas and were registered in the local elementary schools. Methods: Data collection was conducted by face-to-face interview survey. Elementary education majored undergraduate students who participated in the education support program for multi-cultural family children in the Ministry of Education and Science and primary researcher of this study interviewed the target students and finished the survey questionnaire based on the students' responses. Survey included general characteristics, multi-cultural family characteristics, self-esteem, and (physical, mental, and social) health behavior. Results: 1. The self-esteem scores of the multi-cultural families children were greater in girl than boys among the children whose parents were graduated from college or more, and whose father had his job. The participants' health behavior scores were different by mothers' educational level. 2. The better they speak in English the greater the self-esteem scores. There was no statistical difference in health behavior scores by the participants' multi-cultural family background. 3. Self-esteem had moderate level correlation with health behavior (r= .56, p= .00) including all sub-categories of physical, mental, and social health. Conclusions: Positive self-esteem level is more sensitive to explain multi-cultural family children's health behaviors, which means that self-esteem is an important factor determining multi-cultural children's health behaviors and their health status in future. Therefore, more research to identify the factors related to health behaviors should be supported and the health promotion programs utilizing self-esteem should be developed for the child and youth with multi-cultural family backgrounds.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.59-73
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• 2022

This qualitative study focused on the activation of cooperative child care sharing centers'. Eight centers nationwide were selected as example cases in accordance with region (large city, small and medium-sized city, county unit), opening time, operating institution, location, full-time care for dual-income children, and participation in the 2020 care community pilot project. Co-researchers visited each center together to observe the site and conducted in-depth interviews with the head of the center or dedicated staff using semi-structured questionnaires. Interview data were analyzed using triangle verification and transcribed : the data were then grouped into 12 categories and 34 subcategories. From this, the following three topics were derived: the main functions, operational difficulties, and activation conditions. In conclusion, four suggestions are made: 1. proper relationship with the Family center, the cooperative childcare sharing center, and the local care communities 2. activation plan through "solution of operational difficulties" 3. "extension" of the cooperative child care sharing center 4. the role of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Korea Institute for Healthy Family, local governments, and Family Centers.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.133-143
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• 2014

The development of the gut is controlled and modulated by different interacting mechanisms, such as genetic endowment, intrinsic biological regulatory functions, environment influences and last but no least, the diet influence. In this work, we compared the fecal microbiota of breast-fed (BF), formula-fed (FF), and mixed-fed (MF) infants from Hebei Province, China. By using high-throughput 16S rDNA sequencing analyses, we found some differences in gut microbiota in the three groups. Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant bacteria at the phylum level in the three groups, where FF infants showed a significant depletion in Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001) and Actinobacteria (p < 0.05). Enterobacteriaceae was the dominant bacteria at the family level in the three groups, but FF infants showed higher Enterobacteriaceae enrichment than BF and MF infants (p < 0.05); the abundance of the Bifidobacteriaceae was only 8.16% in the feces of BF infants, but higher than in MF and FF infants (p < 0.05). The number of genera detected (abundance >0.01%) in BF, MF, and FF infants was only 15, 16, and 13, respectively. This study could provide more accurate and scientific data for the future study of infant intestinal flora.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.811-816
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• 2007

Adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (A-FABP), which belongs to the FABP family, plays an essential role in long-chain fatty acid uptake and metabolic homeostasis, especially in adipose tissue. The pattern of A-FABP gene mRNA expression in different growth stages and its relation to intramuscular fat (IMF) accretion in pigs was studied. Fifteen female $Duroc{\times}Landrace{\times}Yorkshire$ pigs in five groups of three pigs each, weighing 1, 30, 50, 70 and 90 kg were used to study developmental gene mRNA expression of A-FABP in various adipose tissues by means of semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results showed that A-FABP mRNA levels in subcutaneous and ventral adipose tissues first increased from 1 to 50 kg, then gradually declined from 50 to 90 kg. Moreover, the rank order of A-FABP mRNA levels determined in three adipose tissues was as follows: subcutaneous adipose>ventral adipose>mesenteric adipose. A-FABP mRNA expression in mesenteric adipose tissue was constant during development. In addition, a positive correlation from 1 to 50 kg BW pigs and a negative correlation from 50 to 90 kg BW between A-FABP mRNA levels in subcutaneous and ventral adipose and IMF content were found.

• Mycobiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.79-84
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• 2016

A coelomycete with characters resembling the asexual morphs in the family Botryosphaeriaceae was isolated from a fallen leaf of an orchid collected in Thailand. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses placed the strain in Neoscytalidium. Phylogenetic relationships among Neoscytalidium species were inferred by analyzing internal transcribed spacers and large subunit of rRNA sequence data and indicate that our strain is a new species, which is introduced and illustrated herein as Neoscytalidium orchidacearum sp. nov.