• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.74 no.5
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• pp.215-221
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• 2013

Background: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are considered opportunistic pathogens, and several species of NTM are associated with human diseases that typically involve the pulmonary, skin/soft tissue, or lymphatic systems; such infection may also cause disseminated diseases. Recent studies have reported increasing rates of NTM-induced disease worldwide. Methods: Respiratory samples are being analyzed for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture and NTM identification at Dankook University Hospital in Cheonan, Korea, from September 2005 to September 2011. Identification is performed by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis targeting a novel region of the rpoB gene. Results: A total of 25,133 specimens were received for AFB culture, of which 1,014 (4.0%) were NTM-positive. A total of 267 samples from 186 patients were tested for NTM identifications, and 232 samples from 157 patients were positive for NTM species. Among the patients who tested positive for NTM, 65.6% were men and the average age was 63.3 years. Mycobacterium avium complex, the most commonly detected NTM pathogen, was found in 65.9% of the 232 samples. The annual average percentage of NTM isolates from AFB culture-positive specimens was 31.3%: the highest rate was seen in 2011 (44.3%), followed by 2009 (37.4%) and 2010 (37.2%). An upward trend in NTM incidence was found during the study period. Conclusion: The prevalence of pulmonary NTM isolates continues to increase in Cheonan, suggesting that pulmonary NTM disease is becoming increasingly common.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1193-1196
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• 2016

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the commonest malignancy in the lower gastrointestinal tract in both men and women. It is the third leading cause of cancer-dependent death in the world. In Iran the incidence of colorectal cancer has increased during the last 25 years. Materials and Methods: In this article we analyzed the survival of 447 colorectal patients of Taleghani hospital in Tehran using parametric competing-risks models. The cancers of these patients were diagnosed during 1985 - 2012 and followed up to 2013. The purpose was to assess the association between survival of patients with colorectal cancer in the presence of competing-risks and prognostic factors using parametric models. The analysis was carried out using R software version 3.0.2. Results: The prognostic variables included in the model were age at diagnosis, tumour site, body mass index and sex. The effect of age at diagnosis and body mass index on survival time was statistically significant. The median survival for Iranian patients with colorectal cancer is about 20 years. Conclusions: Survival function based on Weibull model compared with Kaplan-Meier survival function is smooth. Iranian data suggest a younger age distribution compared to Western reports for CRC.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.90-100
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• 1999

In order to investigate dietary risk factors for hypertension in th elderly, dietary intakes and dietary habits of 405 elderly subjects, aged 60-94, were assessed by the questionnaire, anthropometric measurement and a 24-hour dietary recall. The prevalence of definite (>95mmHg for diastolic or>160mmHg for systeolic blood pressue) and borderline(90-95mmHg for diastolic or 140-160mmHg for systolic blood pressure) hypertensive subjects 33.3% and 19.3%, respectively. The distribution of the subjects for Body Mass Index(BMI), waist-hip ratio, and alcohol consumption were significantly different among definite, borderline, and normal groups(p<0.05). The distribution of the subjects for smoking, exercise, and preference of salty food were not significantly different among definite, borderline, and normal groups(p>0.05). From the generalized logistic regression analysis of the risk factors for the hypertension, the subjects with over 27 of BMI had significantly higher risk of hypertension. Alcohol consumption and preference of salty food were significant risk factors of hypertension in the elderly. Dietary risk factors for the hypertension that had significant relationship to the hypertension were intakes of potassium, calcium, phosphate, sodium, vitamin B1, niacin, and folate. There was no significant difference of consumption frequencies of food and dish among definite, borderline, and normal groups(p>0.05). The amount of intakes for cereals and grain product, bean and their products, eggs were significantly different among definite, borderline, and normal groups(p<0.05). In summary, the amount of dietary intakes to hypertension in elderly population. Longitudinal studies for dietary risk factors on incidence of hypertension are needed in general population, especially in the elderly.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 1993

Common dermatophytosis in upper Egypt were studied at three hospitals in Minia city. Tinea corporis (ringworm of glabrous skin) was diagnosed in 127 patients (84 males and 53 females). Trichophyton was the most common genus and was represented by 6 species among which T. violaceum was the commonest fungus. Microsporum was represented by 4 species and M. canis was the prevalent species. Tinea pedis (ringworm of the foot) was noticed in 22 cases (13 males and 9 females) and also Trichophyton and Microsporum were the causal organisms. Three species of Trichophyton namely: T. violaceum, T. kuryngei and Trichophyton sp. were isolated. Tinea cruis (ringworm of the groin) was diagnosed in 21 patients (16 males and 5 females). Epidermophyton floccosum was the most prevalent fungus associated with tinea cruris whereas Trichophyton and Candida were less frequent. Tinea unguium (ringworm of the nail) was diagnosed in 9 patients, 8 were females and one was male and the age incidence ranged between 5 and 55 years. M. canis occurred in 2 cases and T. mentagrophytes in one case. Out of 86 cases of tinea versicolor, 71 were males and 15 were females. Malassezia furfur was the main causal agent. All patients of candidiasis and paronychia were females and Candida was the most prevalent causal agent.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.17-24
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• 2008

The aim of this paper is to report our preliminary results of investigating the spatial focalization of Zen-meditation EEG (electroencephalograph) in alpha band (8-13 Hz). For comparison, the study involved two groups of subjects, practitioners (experimental group) and non-practitioners (control group). To extract EEG alpha rhythm, wavelet analysis was applied to multi-channel EEG signals. Normalized alpha-power vectors were then constructed from spatial distribution of alpha powers, that were classified by Fuzzy C-means based algorithm to explore various brain spatial characteristics during meditation (or, at rest). Optimal number of clusters was determined by correlation coefficients of the membership-value vectors of each cluster center. Our results show that, in the experimental group, the incidence of frontal alpha activity varied in accordance with the meditation stage. The results demonstrated three different spatiotemporal modules consisting with three distinctive meditation stages normally recognized by meditation practitioners. The frontal alpha activity in two groups decreased in different ways. Particularly, monotonic decline was observed in the control group, and the experimental group showed increasing results. The phenomenon might imply various mechanisms employed by meditation and relaxation in modulating parietal alpha.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.108-114
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• 2022

The Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia. Since the introduction of a universal JE vaccination program and urbanization of Korea, the incidence of JE has dramatically decreased in Korea. However, recent JE cases have occurred, predominantly among unvaccinated adults and with a shift in age distribution. Here we aimed to review the changes in age-specific JE seroprevalence over time and discuss the implications of JE vaccination programs in Korea. Following the last epidemic in 1982-1983, mandatory vaccination for all children aged 3-15 years was conducted annually until 1994. However, JE has reemerged, predominantly affecting unvaccinated adults aged 40 years or older and demonstrating a shift in age distribution toward older populations. The age-specific seroprevalence of the JE virus in Korea has changed noticeably over time. Seropositivity in children and adolescents increased from 10%-59% in the 1970s to 90%-92% in the 1980s after the implementation of the JE vaccination program and increased further to 98% in 2012. No age-specific difference in the seroprevalence of JE was found, and appropriate levels of immunity to JE were maintained for all age groups. Continuous surveillance of the seroprevalence of JE is essential to establish a proper immunization policy in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2024

In exhibition spaces such as art museums, lighting should primarily illuminate the walls where exhibits are displayed rather than the floor. Commonly used LED lighting consists of an LED and a diffusion plate that closely resembles a Lambertian light source with uniform light distribution at every angle. This type of illumination focuses on the floor surface where normal incidence occurs. Consequently, this general illumination method is not well-suited for effectively lighting the wall surface. Specifically, to illuminate a wall, it is necessary to increase the light intensity in areas with a large incident angle in the light distribution. In response to this issue, our study proposes an illumination system that uses an ultra wide converter to adjust the divergence angle from the light source to 180 degrees.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.367-379
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• 2024

Compared with traditional transmission towers, T-shaped angle towers have long cross-arms and are specially used for ultrahigh-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) transmission. Nevertheless, the wind loads of T-shaped towers have not received much attention in previous studies. Consequently, a series of wind tunnel tests on the T-shaped towers featuring cross-arms of varying lengths were conducted using the high-frequency force balance (HFFB) technique. The test results reveal that the T-shaped tower's drag coefficients nearly remain constant at different testing velocities, demonstrating that Reynolds number effects are negligible in the test range of 1.26 × 10⁴-2.30 × 10⁴. The maximum values of the longitudinal base shear and torsion of the T-shaped tower are reached at 15° and 25° of wind incidence, respectively. In the yaw angle, the crosswind coefficients of the tower body are quite small, whereas those of the cross-arms are significant, and as a result, the assumption in some load codes (such as ASCE 74-2020, IEC 60826-2017 and EN 50341-1:2012) that the resultant force direction is the same as the wind direction may be inappropriate for the cross-arm situation. The fitting formulas for the wind load-distribution factors of the tower body and cross-arms are developed, respectively, which would greatly facilitate the determination of the wind loads on T-shaped angle towers.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.231-240
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• 2004

In the year of 2002 annual nationwide survey of virus diseases occurring in the pepper fields and greenhouses in Korea, the distribution and the incidence of viral diseases was investigated. The pepper samples from both greenhouses (155 samples) and open fields (227 samples) were collected and further analyzed to detect eleven different viruses by RT-PCR. The results indicate that no sample collected from both greenhouse and open field seems to be infected by TMV, RMV, PVY, AMV, and TSWV. On the other hand, CMV, BBWV2, PepMoV, PMMoV, TMGMV and ToMV are readily identified from greenhouse and open field samples by RT-PCR. The infection rates of the collected samples between greenhouse and open field are largely different. Comparing with 10% of virus-infected pepper samples grown in greenhouse, approximately one third of pepper samples collected from open field are infected. The mixed-infection rates in the virus-infected greenhouse and open field samples are 16% and 61%, respectively. The dominant virus occuring in greenhouse is PMMoV, indicating that virus-infected seed stocks and infected plant debris in the growing area may be important sources of inocula. On the other hand, both CMV and BBWV2 are dominant viruses in open field. This may indicate that the migration of viruliferous insect vectors into pepper fields may be the most important source of inoculum. Also, the survey shows that BBWV2 is newly immerging virus to be controlled in Korea. The discrepancies on the distribution and the occurrence of viral diseases between field and greenhouse may provide a fact that the accumulation and distribution of inoculum by successive cultivation and the migration of viruliferous vectors into growing areas are likely to be important factors to determine the incidence of viral diseases. Therefore, the further studies on epidemiology and the consideration of new breeding program of pepper are essential to minimize virus diseases.

• Journal of Electrical Engineering and Technology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 2006

This paper proposes a topological locating algorithm to determine the location of the power quality event source. This algorithm makes use of the information on the topology of the monitored network and on the direction of PQ events. As a result, the bus incidence matrix is modified using monitor location and the direction matrix is constructed. With this information, the algorithm determines the suspected locations of the PQ events. To reduce suspicious areas, it utilizes event cause and related equipment. In case of line fault event, it calculates the distance from the monitor to the location of event source. The overall algorithm is applied to the IEEE test feeder and accurately identifies the event source location.