• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.13
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• pp.5365-5370
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• 2015

Background: Combining risk factors for prostate cancer into a predictive tool may improve the detection of prostate cancer while decreasing the number of benign biopsies. We compare one such tool, age multiplied by prostate volume divided by total serum PSA (PSA-AV) with PSA density and detection of primary malignant circulating prostate cells (CPCs) in a Chilean prostate cancer screening program. The objectives were not only to determine the predictive values of each, but to determine the number of clinically significant cancers that would have been detected or missed. Materials and Methods: A prospective study was conducted of all men undergoing 12 core ultrasound guided prostate biopsy for suspicion of cancer attending the Hospital DIPRECA and Hospital de Carabineros de Chile. Total serum PSA was registered, prostate volumecalculated at the moment of biopsy, and an 8ml blood simple taken immediately before the biopsy procedure. Mononuclear cells were obtained from the blood simple using differential gel centrifugation and CPCs identified using immunocytchemistry with anti-PSA and anti-P504S. Biopsy results were classed as positive or negative for cancer and if positive the Gleason score, number of positive cores and percent infiltration recorded. Results: A total of 664 men participated, of whom 234 (35.2%) had cancer detected. They were older, had higher mean PSA, PSA density and lower PSA-AV. Detection of CPCs had high predictive score, sensitivity, sensibility and positive and negative predictive values, PSA-AV was not significantly different from PSA density in this population. The use of CPC detection avoided more biopsies and missed fewer significant cancers.Conclusions: In this screening population the use of CPC detection predicted the presence of clinically significant prostate cancer better than the other parameters. The high negative predictive value would allow men CPC negative to avoid biopsy but remain in follow up. The formula PSA-AV did not add to the predictive performance using PSA density.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.651-656
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• 2014

Background: Cervical cancer is the third commonest type of cancer among women in Malaysia. Our aim was to determine the distribution of human papilloma virus (HPV) genotypes in cervical cancer in our multi-ethnic population. Materials and Methods: This was a multicentre study with a total of 280 cases of cervical cancer from 4 referral centres in Malaysia, studied using real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detection of 12 high risk-HPV genotypes. Results: Overall HPV was detected in 92.5% of cases, in 95.9% of squamous cell carcinomas and 84.3%of adenocarcinomas. The five most prevalent high-risk HPV genotypes were HPV 16 (68.2%), 18 (40%), 58 (10.7%), 33 (10.4%) and 52 (10.4%). Multiple HPV infections were more prevalent (55.7%) than single HPV infections (36.8%). The percentage of HPV positive cases in Chinese, Malays and Indians were 95.5%, 91.9% and 80.0%, respectively. HPV 16 and 18 genotypes were the commonest in all ethnic groups. We found that the percentage of HPV 16 infection was significantly higher in Chinese (75.9%) compared to Malays (63.7%) and Indians (52.0%) (p<0.05), while HPV 18 was significantly higher in Malays (52.6%) compared to Chinese (25.0%) and Indians (28%) (p<0.05). Meanwhile, HPV 33 (17.9%) and 52 (15.2%) were also more commonly detected in the Chinese (p<0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that the distribution of HPV genotype in Malaysia is similar to other Asian countries. Importantly, we found that different ethnic groups in Malaysia have different HPV genotype infection rates, which is a point to consider during the implementation of HPV vaccination.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3123-3129
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• 2016

Background: Cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in Sabah Malaysia with a reported age-standardized incidence rate was 104.9 per 100,000 in 2007. The incidence rate depends on non-mandatory notification in the registry. Under-reporting will provide the false picture of cancer control program effectiveness. The present study was to evaluate the performance of the cancer registry system in terms of representativeness, data quality, simplicity, acceptability and timeliness and provision of recommendations for improvement. Materials and Methods: The evaluation was conducted among key informants in the National Cancer Registry (NCR) and reporting facilities from Feb-May 2012 and was based on US CDC guidelines. Representativeness was assessed by matching cancer case in the Health Information System (HIS) and state pathology records with those in NCR. Data quality was measured through case finding and re-abstracting of medical records by independent auditors. The re-abstracting portion comprised 15 data items. Self-administered questionnaires were used to assess simplicity and acceptability. Timeliness was measured from date of diagnosis to date of notification received and data dissemination. Results: Of 4613 cancer cases reported in HIS, 83.3% were matched with cancer registry. In the state pathology centre, 99.8% was notified to registry. Duplication of notification was 3%. Data completeness calculated for 104 samples was 63.4%. Registrars perceived simplicity in coding diagnosis as moderate. Notification process was moderately acceptable. Median duration of interval 1 was 5.7 months. Conclusions: The performances of registry's attributes are fairly positive in terms of simplicity, case reporting sensitivity, and predictive value positive. It is moderately acceptable, data completeness and inflexible. The usefulness of registry is the area of concern to achieve registry objectives. Timeliness of reporting is within international standard, whereas timeliness to data dissemination was longer up to 4 years. Integration between existing HIS and national registration department will improve data quality.

• Journal of Power Electronics
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.408-417
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• 2011

The plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are specialized hybrid electric vehicles that have the potential to obtain enough energy for average daily commuting from batteries. The PHEV battery would be recharged from the power grid at home or at work and would thus allow for a reduction in the overall fuel consumption. This paper proposes an integrated power electronics interface for PHEVs, which consists of a novel Eight-Switch Inverter (ESI) and an interleaved DC/DC converter, in order to reduce the cost, the mass and the size of the power electronics unit (PEU) with high performance at any operating mode. In the proposed configuration, a novel Eight-Switch Inverter (ESI) is able to function as a bidirectional single-phase AC/DC battery charger/ vehicle to grid (V2G) and to transfer electrical energy between the DC-link (connected to the battery) and the electric traction system as DC/AC inverter. In addition, a bidirectional-interleaved DC/DC converter with dual-loop controller is proposed for interfacing the ESI to a low-voltage battery pack in order to minimize the ripple of the battery current and to improve the efficiency of the DC system with lower inductor size. To validate the performance of the proposed configuration, the indirect field-oriented control (IFOC) based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed to optimize the efficiency of the AC drive system in PHEVs. The maximum efficiency of the motor is obtained by the evaluation of optimal rotor flux at any operating point, where the PSO is applied to evaluate the optimal flux. Moreover, an improved AC/DC controller based Proportional-Resonant Control (PRC) is proposed in order to reduce the THD of the input current in charger/V2G modes. The proposed configuration is analyzed and its performance is validated using simulated results obtained in MATLAB/ SIMULINK. Furthermore, it is experimentally validated with results obtained from the prototypes that have been developed and built in the laboratory based on TMS320F2808 DSP.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.146-170
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• 2017

Joint channel assignment and routing is a well-known problem in multi-radio wireless mesh networks for which optimal configurations is required to optimize the overall throughput and fairness. However, other objectives need to be considered in order to provide a high quality service to network users when it deployed with high traffic dynamic. In this paper, we propose a re-configuration optimization model that optimizes the network throughput in addition to reducing the disruption to the mesh clients' traffic due to the re-configuration process. In this multi-objective optimization model, four objective functions are proposed to be minimized namely maximum link-channel utilization, network average contention, channel re-assignment cost, and re-routing cost. The latter two objectives focus on reducing the re-configuration overhead. This is to reduce the amount of disrupted traffic due to the channel switching and path re-routing resulted from applying the new configuration. In order to adapt to traffic dynamics in the network which might be caused by many factors i.e. users' mobility, a centralized heuristic re-configuration algorithm called State-Aware Joint Routing and Channel Assignment (SA-JRCA) is proposed in this research based on our re-configuration model. The proposed algorithm re-assigns channels to radios and re-configures flows' routes with aim of achieving a tradeoff between maximizing the network throughput and minimizing the re-configuration overhead. The ns-2 simulator is used as simulation tool and various metrics are evaluated. These metrics include channel-link utilization, channel re-assignment cost, re-routing cost, throughput, and delay. Simulation results show the good performance of SA-JRCA in term of packet delivery ratio, aggregated throughput and re-configuration overhead. It also shows higher stability to the traffic variation in comparison with other compared algorithms which suffer from performance degradation when high traffic dynamics is applied.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.153-159
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• 2013

Purpose: The level of the implant above the marginal bone and flap design have an effect on the bone resorption during the healing period. The aim of this study is to detect the relationship between the level of the implant at the implant placement and the bone level at the healing period in the mesial and distal side of implants placed with flapless (FL) and full-thickness flap (FT) methods. Methods: Twenty-two nonsubmerged implants were placed with the FL and FT technique. Periapical radiographs were taken of the patient at implant placement, and at 6 and 12 weeks. By using computer software, bone level measurements were taken from the shoulder of the healing cap to the first bone implant contact in the mesial and distal side of the implant surface. Results: At 6 weeks, the correlation between the crestal bone level at the implant placement and crestal bone level of the FT mesially was significant (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.675, P<0.023). At 12 weeks, in the FT mesially, the correlation was nonsignificant (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.297, P<0.346). At 6 weeks in the FT distally, the correlation was nonsignificant (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.512, P<0.107). At 12 weeks in the FT distally, the correlation was significant (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.730, P<0.011). At 6 weeks in the FL mesially, the correlation was nonsignificant (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.083, P<0.809). At 12 weeks in the FL mesially, the correlation was nonsignificant (Spearman correlation coefficient= 0.062, P<0.856). At 6 weeks in the FL distally, the correlation was nonsignificant (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.197, P<0.562). At 12 weeks in the FL distally, the correlation was significant (Pearson correlation coefficient=0.692, P<0.018). Conclusions: A larger sample size is recommended to verify the conclusions in this preliminary study. The bone level during the healing period in the FT was more positively correlated with the implant level at implant placement than in the FL.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.356-367
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• 2018

A series of tests dedicated to station blackout (SBO) accident scenarios have been recently performed at the $Prim{\ddot{a}}rkreislauf-Versuchsanlage$ (primary coolant loop test facility; PKL) facility in the framework of the OECD/NEA PKL-3 project. These investigations address current safety issues related to beyond design basis accident transients with significant core heat up. This work presents a detailed analysis using the best estimate thermal-hydraulic code TRACE (v5.0 Patch4) of different SBO scenarios conducted at the PKL facility; failures of high- and low-pressure safety injection systems together with steam generator (SG) feedwater supply are considered, thus calling for adequate accident management actions and timely implementation of alternative emergency cooling procedures to prevent core meltdown. The presented analysis evaluates the capability of the applied TRACE model of the PKL facility to correctly capture the sequences of events in the different SBO scenarios, namely the SBO tests H2.1, H2.2 run 1 and H2.2 run 2, including symmetric or asymmetric secondary side depressurization, primary side depressurization, accumulator (ACC) injection in the cold legs and secondary side feeding with mobile pump and/or primary side emergency core coolant injection from the fuel pool cooling pump. This study is focused specifically on the prediction of the core exit temperature, which drives the execution of the most relevant accident management actions. This work presents, in particular, the key improvements made to the TRACE model that helped to improve the code predictions, including the modeling of dynamical heat losses, the nodalization of SGs' heat exchanger tubes and the ACCs. Another relevant aspect of this work is to evaluate how well the model simulations of the three different scenarios qualitatively and quantitatively capture the trends and results exhibited by the actual experiments. For instance, how the number of SGs considered for secondary side depressurization affects the heat transfer from primary side; how the discharge capacity of the pressurizer relief valve affects the dynamics of the transient; how ACC initial pressure and nitrogen release affect the grace time between ACC injection and subsequent core heat up; and how well the alternative feeding modes of the secondary and/or primary side with mobile injection pumps affect core quenching and ensure stable long-term core cooling under controlled boiling conditions.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2941-2946
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• 2016

Background: The limitations of total serum PSA values remain problematic, especially after an initial negative prostate biopsy. In this prospective study of Chilean men with a continued suspicion of prostate cancer due to a persistently elevated total serum PSA, abnormal digital rectal examination and initial negative prostate biopsy were compared with the use of the on-line Chun nomagram, detection of primary malignant circulating prostate cells (CPCs) and free percent PSA to predict a positive second prostate biopsy. We hypothesized that men negative for circulating prostate cells have a small risk of clinically significant prostate cancer and thus may be conservatively observed. Men positive for circulating prostate cells should undergo biopsy to confirm prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Consecutive men with a continued suspicion of prostate cancer underwent 12 core TRUS prostate biopsy; age, total serum PSA and percentage free PSA and Chun nomagram scores were registered. Immediately before biopsy an 8ml blood simple was taken to detect primary mCPCs. Mononuclear cells were obtained by differential gel centrifugation and identified using double immunostaining with anti-PSA and anti-P504S. Biopsies were classifed as cancer/no-cancer, mCPC detecton test as negative/positive and the total number of cells/8ml registered. Areas under the curve (AUC) for percentage free PSA, Chun score and CPCs were calculated and compared. Diagnostic yields were calculated with reference to the number of possible biopsies that could be avoided and the number of clinically significant cancers that would be missed. Results: A total of 164 men underwent a second biopsy; 41 (25%) had cancer; the AUCs were 0.65 for free PSA, 0.76 for the Chun score and 0.87 for CPC detection, the last having a significantly superior prediction value (p=0.01). Using cut off values of free PSA <10%, Chun score >50% and ${\geq}1$ CPC detected, CPC detection had a higher diagnostic yield. Some 4/41 cancers complied with the criteria for active surveillance, free PSA and the Chun score missed a higher number of significant cancers when compared with CPC detection. Conclusions: Primary CPC detection outperformed the use of free PSA and the Chun nomagram in predicting clinically significant prostate cancer at repeat prostate biopsy.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.333-340
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• 2019

As the number of students in the multicultural background grows, the interest in their education is also increasing. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of forest healing factors on the improvement of language ability and ego-resilience of students from multicultural families. We conducted an after-school forest healing program of ten male and ten female middle school students of a multicultural preparatory school located in ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$-dong in Cheongju, Chungnam Province. The experiment consisted of a total of 12 weekly one-hour (60 minutes) programs from April 12, 2018 to June 26, 2018. The forest healing program is an activity that uses the various environmental factors that exist in the forest to increase the immunity of the human body and restore physical and mental health. To determine the difference in ego-resilience before and after the program, we conducted a paired t-test and analyzed with the SPSS 18.0 program. The results showed that the ego-resilience significantly improved in all sub-factors including the positive thinking ability, problem-solving ability, intimacy ability, emotional adjustment ability, and autonomic behavior ability (p<.001). The descriptive statistics of the language ability showed the improvement in writing errors, pronunciation errors, sentence errors, tense errors, and errors in research and connection. We expect the results of this study can be used as the basic data to improve ego-resilience and language acquisition ability of middle-entry children and students from multicultural families.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.86 no.2
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• pp.82-93
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• 2023

Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant public health concern. Globally, TB is among the top 10 and the leading cause of death due to a single infectious agent. Providing standard anti-TB therapy for at least 6 months is recommended as one of the crucial strategies to control the TB epidemic. However, the long duration of TB treatment raised the issue of non-adherence. Non-adherence to TB therapy could negatively affect clinical and public health outcomes. Thus, directly observed therapy (DOT) has been introduced as a standard strategy to improve anti-TB medication adherence. Nonetheless, the DOT approach has been criticized due to inconvenience, stigma, reduced economic productivity, and reduced quality of life, which ultimately could complicate adherence issues. Apart from that, its effectiveness in improving anti-TB adherence is debatable. Therefore, digital technology could be an essential tool to enhance the implementation of DOT. Incorporating the health belief model (HBM) into digital technology can further increase its effectiveness in changing behavior and improving medication adherence. This article aimed to review the latest evidence regarding TB medication non-adherence, its associated factors, DOT's efficacy and its alternatives, and the use of digital technology and HBM in improving medication adherence. This paper used the narrative review methodology to analyze related articles to address the study objectives. Conventional DOT has several disadvantages in TB management. Integrating HBM in digital technology development is potentially effective in improving medication adherence. Digital technology provides an opportunity to improve medication adherence to overcome various issues related to DOT implementation.