• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5551-5556
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• 2014

Background: The prognostic value of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu) for survival of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is still ambiguous. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to evaluate its prognostic significance. Materials and Methods: We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for published literature investigating associations between HER-2/neu status and overall survival of patients with CRC. A meta-analysis was performed using a DerSimonian-Laird model and publication bias was investigated by Begg's and Egger's tests. Subgroup analysis was also conducted according to the study design type, study quality score, cut-off value for HER-2/neu overexpression, publication region, patient number and publication year. Results: A total of 17 eligible studies involving 2,347 patients were identified for this meta-analysis. The combined hazard ratio (HR) was 1.31 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.96-1.79), suggesting that HER-2/neu overexpression was not significantly associated with overall survival of patients with CRC. However, subgroup analysis revealed that HER-2/neu overexpression had an unfavorable impact on survival when the analysis was restricted to subgroups of study quality score ${\leq}5 $(HR=1.56, 95%CI: 1.17-2.10), Asian patients (HR=1.74, 95%CI: 1.22-2.49), patient number ${\leq}106$ (HR=1.57, 95%CI: 1.01-2.44), publication year before 2003 (HR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.02-2.49), and prospectively designed study (HR=3.62, 95%CI: 1.42-9.24). The effect disappeared in subgroups of study quality scores > 5 (HR=0.69, 95%CI: 0.33-1.44), non Asian patients (HR=1.14, 95%CI: 0.77-1.70), patients' number > 106 (HR=1.07, 95%CI: 0.67-1.72), publication year after 2003 (HR=1.13, 95%CI: 0.76-1.69), and retrospectively designed study (HR=1.22, 95%CI: 0.89-1.67). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis suggests that HER-2/neu overexpression might not be a significantly prognostic indicator for patients with CRC. Further studies are required to confirm these results.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2021

[Purpose] Sodium bicarbonate shows ergogenic potential in physical exercise and sports activities, although there is no strong evidence which performance markers show the greatest benefit from this supplement. This study evaluated the effects of sodium bicarbonate supplementation on time trial performance and time to exhaustion in athletes and sports practitioners. [Methods] A systematic review was conducted using three databases, including 17 clinical trials. Among these clinical trials, 11 were considered eligible for the meta-analysis according to the criteria for the assessment of methodological quality using the PEDro Scale. Time to exhaustion was assessed in six studies, while time trial performance was evaluated in five studies. [Results] A significant beneficial effect of supplementation on time to exhaustion was found in a random effects model (1.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49 to 2.48). There was no significant effect of supplementation on time trial performance in a fixed effects model (slope = -0.75; 95% CI, -2.04 to 0.55) relative to a placebo group. [Conclusion] Sodium bicarbonate has the potential to improve sports performance in general, especially in terms of time to exhaustion.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.128-144
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• 2023

Objectives: The health system reform process is highly political and controversial, and in most cases, it fails to realize its intended goals. This study was conducted to synthesize factors underlying the failure of health system reforms. Methods: In this systematic review and meta-synthesis, we searched 9 international and regional databases to identify qualitative and mixed-methods studies published up to December 2019. Using thematic synthesis, we analyzed the data. We utilized the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist for quality assessment. Results: After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 40 of 1837 articles were included in the content analysis. The identified factors were organized into 7 main themes and 32 sub-themes. The main themes included: (1) reforms initiators' attitudes and knowledge; (2) weakness of political support; (3) lack of interest group support; (4) insufficient comprehensiveness of the reform; (5) problems related to the implementation of the reform; (6) harmful consequences of reform implementation; and (7) the political, economic, cultural, and social conditions of the society in which the reform takes place. Conclusions: Health system reform is a deep and extensive process, and shortcomings and weaknesses in each step have overcome health reform attempts in many countries. Awareness of these failure factors and appropriate responses to these issues can help policymakers properly plan and implement future reform programs and achieve the ultimate goals of reform: to improve the quantity and quality of health services and the health of society.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.33-43
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was using a meta-analysis to estimate effect size of school violence prevention program. Using an objective and systematic method, meta-analysis has advantages that prove intervention's amount and direction. Meta-analysis facilitates comprehensive analysis. Through the data collection, 33studies were selected and 129 effect size were calculated as analysis objects. The overall effect size of school violence prevention program was 0.624. In the human characteristic, the affective domain had the largest effect size. Next were the physical domain, cognitive domain, the social domain and the complex domain. Analysis on age of participant, high grade elementary students group had the largest effect size. Next were the high school students, middle school students and the lower grade elementary students group. Analysis on intervention periods, tertiary prevention had a largest effect size. Next were secondary prevention and primary prevention. Based on the findings, implications for future study were discussed.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.111-126
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• 2016

Objective: To systematically review previous studies and to assess, via a subgroup meta-analysis, the combined odds ratio (OR) of prognostic factors affecting the success of miniscrew implants (MIs) inserted into the buccal posterior region. Methods: Three electronic searches that were limited to articles on clinical human studies using MIs that were published in English prior to March 2015 were conducted. The outcome measure was the success of MIs. Patient factors included age, sex, and jaw of insertion (maxilla vs. mandible), while the MI factors included length and diameter. A meta-analysis was performed on 17 individual studies. The quality of each study was assessed for non-randomized studies and quantified using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The meta-analysis outcome was a combined OR. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses based on the study design, study quality, and sample size of miniscrews implanted were performed. Results: Significantly higher success rates were revealed for MIs inserted in the maxilla, for patients ${\geq}20$ years of age, and for long MIs (${\geq}8mm$) and MIs with a large diameter (> 1.4 mm). All subgroups acquired homogeneity, and the combined OR of the prospective studies (OR, 3.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.10-6.44) was significantly higher in the maxilla than that in the retrospective studies (OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.60-2.74). Conclusions: When a treatment plan is made, these risk factors, i.e. jaw of insertion, age, MI length, and MI diameter, should be taken into account, while sex is not critical to the success of MIs.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.4915-4921
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• 2012

Published data on any association between the CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI (c1/c2) polymorphism and liver cancer risk among east Asians are inconclusive. The aim of this Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) review and meta-analysis was to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship. A literature search of Pubmed, Embase, Web of science and CBM databases from inception through July 2012 was conducted. Twelve case-control studies were included with a total of 1,552 liver cancer cases and 1,763 healthy controls. Crude odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of association under five genetic models. When all the eligible studies were pooled into the meta-analysis, the results showed that the c2 allele and the c2 carrier (c2/c2 + c2/c1) of RsaI/PstI polymorphism were associated with decreased risk of liver cancer among east Asians (c2 vs. c1: OR = 0.75, 95%CI: 0.59-0.95, P = 0.016; c2/c2 + c2/c1 vs. c1/c1: OR = 0.76, 95%CI: 0.58-1.00, P = 0.050). In the stratified analysis by country, significant associations were observed between RsaI/PstI polymorphism and decreased risk of liver cancer among the Chinese population (c2 vs. c1: OR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.54-0.91, P = 0.007; c2/c2 + c2/c1 vs. c1/c1: OR = 0.72, 95%CI: 0.54-0.95, P = 0.020), but not among Japanese and Korean populations. Results from the current meta-analysis indicates that the c2 allele of CYP2E1 RsaI/PstI (c1/c2) polymorphism may be a protective factor for HCC among east Asians, especially among China populations.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.291-299
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• 2019

The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of laughter therapy on healthy life of human through meta-analysis of literature. Based on domestic and foreign academic databases, 495 foreign and 199 domestic literature were reviewed focusing on "quality of life," as the ultimate goal of health. The final seven literature were extracted. Analyses was performed in R version 3.5.1. Significant differences (SMD=0.23, p<0.01) were shown in the pre-post comparisons of experimental groups using the mean difference (effects size) analysis of the extracted samples. Significant results were not shown in meta regression analyses setting explanatory variables as 'treatment sessions and durations' and outcome variables as 'treatment effects of laughter therapy'. This study is meaningful in comparative analyses of pre-post experimental groups to establish 'laughter therapy' has a significant effect on improving 'quality of life' and is a useful intervention method, especially for older people, and older women with depression.

• Human Ecology Research
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• v.61 no.2
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• pp.263-280
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• 2023

This study examined four ecological systems, namely individual, family, school, and media environments. A series of moderator analyses were conducted to examine variations in effect size estimates across the study characteristics. The current study estimated that the effect size results were gleaned from 360 primary studies, including 90 journal articles and 270 thesis/dissertations, published between 2011 and 2022. The current meta-analysis results supported the ecological framework. That is, the impact of each ecological system on the development of positive and negative peer relationships varies depending on age groups and protective-risk factors. Specifically, for positive peer relationships, the largest effect size of the protective factor was found at the individual level for young and school- aged children, but at the school level for adolescents. Regarding the risk factors for positive peer relationships, the media was the ecological system with the strongest effect size for both young children and adolescents, while the individual-level demonstrating the strongest effect for school-aged children. Results from this meta-analysis allow us to identify some vital intervention areas in terms of healthy peer-relationship development, which should be of considerable interest to the educators and policymakers who are responsible for assessing and intervening with at-risk young children, school-aged children, and adolescents. From a practical standpoint, the current meta-analysis results are expected to contribute to developing effective prevention initiatives by targeting specific protective and risk factors for peer relationship development on the ecological system level.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 1994

Major studies of Home Economics have had an intention to keep the standard scientific perspective based on value-free and positivism. But in the early 20C there was a change within scientific philosophy and the holistic perspective has risen in the part of scocial and natural science. The phenomenon dealt in the field of Home Economics is the interaction between human and environment and it regards human and family behavior in the context of the environment as a major object. This interaction can be micro/macro and objectiv $e_jective, So it has a very complex trait. The goal of this study is to verify the applicability of Human Ecology as an alternative framework to explain each level of the family phenomena. Further it is concluded that it is very efficient to present Human Ecology as a general theory for Home Economics because there are increasing demands for understanding interdependence and persuing for balanced co-existence between human and encironment. Finally this study concludes that Human Ecology is not a past theory but a very comprehensive one to construct and abstract theory-building.ng.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.54-63
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• 2014

It is general that the field plant is too large to be monitored by human works. So it is crucial to prepare one automated monitoring system to prevent unexpected accidents in advance. However, most of previous monitoring systems were to be implemented by human programmer independently, so the total developing cost of a set of similar monitoring systems is so high. In order to overcome this disadvantage, we propose a new specification language for meta-description of monitoring system. Also we propose a generation tool for monitoring system with the input meta-description files. Using these meta-description files, we show it is so fast and effective to get a new monitoring system for a specific field plant. In experiment we have shown that our generation system work successfully in newly developing a monitoring system for the water-vessel plant.