• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권5호
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• pp.2009-2011
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• 2015

Objective: Glutathione S-transferase M 1 (GSTM1) is implicated as a risk factor for prostate cancer. However, this issue is not clear in Chinese population. This systemic analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of GSTM1 null genotypes on prostate cancer risk in Chinese. Methods: Published studies investigating the associations between GSTM1 null genotypes and the risk of prostate cancer in China were identified by using a predefined search strategy. Main statisticals were pooled and estimated according to the primarily reported data. Results: The prevalence of the GSTM1 null genotype was higher in prostate cancer patients than in controls, with significance. Conclusion: The GSTM1 null genotypes is associated with increased risk of prostate cancer in Chinese.

• 한국경영과학회지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.25-43
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• 2010

We consider a multi-objective balancing and sequencing problem in mixed model assembly lines, which is important for an efficient use of the assembly lines. In this paper, we present a neighborhood symbiotic evolutionary algorithm to simultaneously solve the two problems of balancing and model sequencing under multiple objectives. We aim to find a set of well-distributed solutions close to the true Pareto optimal solutions for decision makers. The proposed algorithm has a two-leveled structure. At Level 1, two populations are operated : One consists of individuals each of which represents a partial solution to the balancing problem and the other consists of individuals for the sequencing problem. Level 2, which is an upper level, works one population whose individuals represent the combined entire solutions to the two problems. The process of Level 1 imitates a neighborhood symbiotic evolution and that of Level 2 simulates an endosymbiotic evolution together with an elitist strategy to promote the capability of solution search. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with those of the existing algorithms in convergence, diversity and computation time of nondominated solutions. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is superior to the compared algorithms in all the three performance measures.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• 제1권4호
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• pp.315-327
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• 2016

Damage detection and localisation in structures is essential since it can be a means for preventive maintenance of those structures under service conditions. The use of structural modal data for detecting the damage is one of the most efficient methods. This paper presents comparative performance of various state-of-the-art meta-heuristics for use in structural damage detection based on changes in modal data. The metaheuristics include differential evolution (DE), artificial bee colony algorithm (ABC), real-code ant colony optimisation (ACOR), charged system search (ChSS), league championship algorithm (LCA), simulated annealing (SA), particle swarm optimisation (PSO), evolution strategies (ES), teaching-learning-based optimisation (TLBO), adaptive differential evolution (JADE), evolution strategy with covariance matrix adaptation (CMAES), success-history based adaptive differential evolution (SHADE) and SHADE with linear population size reduction (L-SHADE). Three truss structures are used to pose several test problems for structural damage detection. The meta-heuristics are then used to solve the test problems treated as optimisation problems. Comparative performance is carried out where the statistically best algorithms are identified.

• 환경영향평가
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.357-365
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• 2011

The QUAL2K has the same basic characteristics as the QUAL2E model, which has been widely used in stream water quality modeling; in QUAL2K, however, various functions are supplemented. The QUAL2Kw model uses a genetic algorithm(GA) for automatic calibration of QUAL2K, and it can search for optimum water quality parameters efficiently using the calculation results of the model. The QUAL2Kw model was applied to the Gangneung Namdaecheon River on the east side of the Korean Peninsula. Because of the effluents from the urban area, the middle and lower parts of the river are more polluted than the upper parts. Moreover, the hydraulic characteristics differ between the lower and upper parts of rivers. Thus, the river reaches were divided into seven parts, auto-calibration for the multiple reaches was performed using the function of the user-defined automatic calibration of the rates worksheets. Because GA parameters affect the optimal solution of the model, the impact of the GA parameters used in QUAL2Kw on the fitness of the model was analyzed. Sensitivity analysis of various factors, such as population size, crossover probability, crossover mode, strategy for mutation and elitism, mutation rate, and reproduction plan, were performed. Using the results of this sensitivity analysis, the optimum GA parameters were selected to achieve the best fitness value.

• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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• 제19권2호
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• pp.20-39
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• 2020

In order to overturn the exclusion of Korean schools from the newly implemented free tuition program (2010) as part of sanctions against North Korea, members of Korean schools and Japanese supporters have focused on "students' innocence" and "multicultural coexistence" as viable frameworks to explain why the students are sympathetic and legitimate subjects who deserve equal rights. Examining different political strategies employed by the Korean schools and their supporters through ethnography and media analysis, the article pays close attention to how they claim their eligibility for these rights while they negotiate state surveillance and intervention in the process. I argue that in their efforts to gain recognition as deserving and sympathetic subjects, Korean schools are trapped in what political theorist Patchen Markell calls a "permanent temptation" in pursuing "recognition." Anti-North Korea sentiments in Japan have made the desire for good recognition even more urgent among Korean school community members. The paper will demonstrate that the search for recognition unwittingly reinforces and perpetuates existing relations of subordination and state dominance over their education as it has forced the Korean schools to accept various "conditions" that would radically alter the core principle, mission, and pedagogy of Korean school education that is rooted in decolonizing theory and praxis. This paper will shed lights on dilemma of multicultural coexistence the Korean minority population faces in Japan today.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.65-91
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• 2024

The use of five optimization techniques for the prediction of a strength-based concrete mixture's best-fit model is examined in this work. Five optimization techniques are utilized for this purpose: Slime Mold Algorithm (SMA), Black Hole Algorithm (BHA), Multi-Verse Optimizer (MVO), Vortex Search (VS), and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA). MATLAB employs a hybrid learning strategy to train an artificial neural network that combines least square estimation with backpropagation. Thus, 72 samples are utilized as training datasets and 31 as testing datasets, totaling 103. The multi-layer perceptron (MLP) is used to analyze all data, and results are verified by comparison. For training datasets in the best-fit models of SMA-MLP, BHA-MLP, MVO-MLP, VS-MLP, and WOA-MLP, the statistical indices of coefficient of determination (R²) in training phase are 0.9603, 0.9679, 0.9827, 0.9841 and 0.9770, and in testing phase are 0.9567, 0.9552, 0.9594, 0.9888 and 0.9695 respectively. In addition, the best-fit structures for training for SMA, BHA, MVO, VS, and WOA (all combined with multilayer perceptron, MLP) are achieved when the term population size was modified to 450, 500, 250, 150, and 500, respectively. Among all the suggested options, VS could offer a stronger prediction network for training MLP.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권16호
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• pp.7011-7023
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• 2015

Background: Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting men globally, constituting the sixth leading cause of cancer related death in males, and the eleventh leading cause of death from cancer in all age groups. In Jordan, prostate cancer is the third most common cancer in the male population, accounting for one third (6.2%) of cancer related deaths and in 2010 alone, 218 (9.4%) new cases were identified. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of different health education interventions aimed at enhancing knowledge, beliefs and intention to screen for prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: A literature search from January 2000 to April 2015 was conducted using the key words "prostate disease," "educational program," "knowledge," "prostate cancer," "demographic factors and prostate cancer," "knowledge and prostate cancer," "education for patients with prostate cancer," "factors that affect intention to screen," "knowledge, beliefs, and intention to screen for prostate cancer," "impact of prostate educational program on beliefs," and "impact of educational program on intention to screen." Results: Majority of studies reviewed indicated that men had low levels of knowledge regarding prostate cancer, and mild to moderate beliefs with good intention to screen for prostate cancer. Conclusions: Most studies indicated that men's knowledge levels about prostate cancer were poor and they had mild to moderate beliefs and intentions to screen for prostate cancer. Therefore, development of an assessment strategy based on the Health Belief Model seems essential. An effectively designed and implemented educational program can help identify the needs and priorities of the target population.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제49권2호
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• pp.22.1-22.12
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• 2024

Objectives: This systematic review addressed the question: "What is the prevalence of apical periodontitis in patients prior to hematopoietic cell transplantation?" Materials and Methods: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Grey Literature Report. Eligibility criteria were based on the condition, content, and population strategy: the condition was the radiographic prevalence of apical periodontitis, the content comprised patients scheduled for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the population consisted of adult and pediatric patients. The revised Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies of Exposure tool was used to assess the quality of studies. The Grading Recommendations Assessments, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool was used to assess the quality of evidence. Results: Eight studies were included in this review. The average number of patients with apical periodontitis was 15.65% (range, 2.1%-43.34%). One study was classified as having a very high risk of bias, 1 with a high risk of bias, and 6 with some concern for bias. GRADE analysis showed a very low certainty of evidence. Significant limitations concerning the absence of control over confounding variables were identified. Conclusions: With the caveat of the very low quality of evidence in the studies reviewed, there was a low to moderate prevalence of apical periodontitis in patients prior to undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation.

• 한국육종학회지
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• 제43권5호
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• pp.360-367
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• 2011

Beta-carotene producing transformants were produced in the background of 'Nagdongbyeo', a Japonica rice cultivar. Introgression of the carotenoid locus in the transformant, PAC4-2 into the elite cultivar 'Ilpumbyeo' was started. To initiate a backcrossing program, we surveyed 220 SSR markers and found that 38% of them were polymorphic between 'Ilpumbyeo' as a recurrent parent and the PAC4-2 as a recipient parent. The selection strategy comprising foreground and background selection was employed. First, foreground selection was practiced in $BC_1$, $BC_2$, and $BC_3$ generations using the transgene specific PCR-based marker in addition to visual scoring of the seed color. Marker-based background selection combined with phenotypic selection was employed from $BC_3F_2$ to $BC_3F_4$ generations. Blast search indicated that the transgene PAC4-2 was located between SSR markers, RM6 and RM482. 240 $BC_3F_3$ and 63 $BC_3F_4$ lines were evaluated for four agronomic traits including days to heading. Most of the lines were similar to Ilpumbyeo in agronomic traits evaluated. The percentage of PAC4-2 genome ranged from 4% to 21% with a mean of 12.5%, which was higher than the expected for an unselected $BC_3$ backcross population. This could be explained by the fact that two genes for beta-carotene and the stripe virus resistance were targeted in this study. We selected 10 representative $BC_3F_5$ lines from 63 $BC_3F_4$ lines based on agronomic traits and carotenoids content. The selection strategy would be appropriate for the introgression of beta-carotene gene in a breeding program.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• 제46권2호
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• pp.26.1-26.15
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• 2021

Objectives: The aim of the present systematic review was to investigate the cryopreservation process of dental pulp mesenchymal stromal cells and whether cryopreservation is effective in promoting cell viability and recovery. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and the research question was determined using the population, exposure, comparison, and outcomes strategy. Electronic searches were conducted in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, LILACS, and SciELO databases and in the gray literature (dissertations and thesis databases and Google Scholar) for relevant articles published up to March 2019. Clinical trial studies performed with dental pulp of human permanent or primary teeth, containing concrete information regarding the cryopreservation stages, and with cryopreservation performed for a period of at least 1 week were included in this study. Results: The search strategy resulted in the retrieval of 185 publications. After the application of the eligibility criteria, 21 articles were selected for a qualitative analysis. Conclusions: The cryopreservation process must be carried out in 6 stages: tooth disinfection, pulp extraction, cell isolation, cell proliferation, cryopreservation, and thawing. In addition, it can be inferred that the use of dimethyl sulfoxide, programmable freezing, and storage in liquid nitrogen are associated with a high rate of cell viability after thawing and a high rate of cell proliferation in both primary and permanent teeth.