• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.6721-6726
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• 2013

Background: Changes in DNA methylation patterns are believed to be early events in hepatocarcinogenesis. A better understanding of methylation states and how they correlate with disease progression will aid in finding potential strategies for early detection of HCC. The aim of our study was to analyze the methylation frequency of tumor suppressor genes, P14, P15, and P73, and a mismatch repair gene (O6MGMT) in HCV related chronic liver disease and HCC to identify candidate epigenetic biomarkers for HCC prediction. Materials and Methods: 516 Egyptian patients with HCV-related liver disease were recruited from Kasr Alaini multidisciplinary HCC clinic from April 2010 to January 2012. Subjects were divided into 4 different clinically defined groups - HCC group (n=208), liver cirrhosis group (n=108), chronic hepatitis C group (n=100), and control group (n=100) - to analyze the methylation status of the target genes in patient plasma using EpiTect Methyl qPCR Array technology. Methylation was considered to be hypermethylated if >10% and/or intermediately methylated if >60%. Results: In our series, a significant difference in the hypermethylation status of all studied genes was noted within the different stages of chronic liver disease and ultimately HCC. Hypermethylation of the P14 gene was detected in 100/208 (48.1%), 52/108 (48.1%), 16/100 (16%) and 8/100 (8%) among HCC, liver cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis and control groups, respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the studied groups (p-value 0.008). We also detected P15 hypermethylation in 92/208 (44.2%), 36/108 (33.3%), 20/100 (20%) and 4/100 (4%), respectively (p-value 0.006). In addition, hypermethylation of P73 was detected in 136/208 (65.4%), 72/108 (66.7%), 32/100 (32%) and 4/100 (4%) (p-value <0.001). Also, we detected O6MGMT hypermethylation in 84/208 (40.4%), 60/108 (55.3%), 20/100 (20%) and 4/100 (4%), respectively (p value <0.001. Conclusions: The epigenetic changes observed in this study indicate that HCC tumors exhibit specific DNA methylation signatures with potential clinical applications in diagnosis and prognosis. In addition, methylation frequency could be used to monitor whether a patient with chronic hepatitis C is likely to progress to liver cirrhosis or even HCC. We can conclude that methylation processes are not just early events in hepatocarcinogenesis but accumulate with progression to cancer.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.125-135
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• 2002

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of depression, discomfort, spirituality, physical care, and opioid use on pain with terminally ill cancer patients in the hospice units. Method : The convenient sample of this study consisted of 58 terminally ill cancer patients at three hospice units in university-affiliated hospitals. Patients were interviewed with structured questionnaires. The data was analyzed using ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multivariate multiple regression. Result : The results of this study were as follows : 1) The mean age of the participants was approximately 57 years. Regarding diagnosis, stomach cancer showed the highest frequency (24.1%), followed by lung cancer (17.2%) and rectal cancer (13.8%). Regarding motivation for admission to the hospice unit, the majority of the participants indicated pain control (67.2%), followed by spiritual care (39.7%), and symptom relief (27.6%). 2) The mean pain level measured by VAS was 5.13 (${\pm}2.61$). Regarding pain type, the highest pain frequency the participants experienced was deep pain (53.4%), followed by multiple pain (20.7%), intestinal pain (17.3%), and neurogenic (5.2%) and superficial pain (3.4%). 3) Regarding the factors influencing pain, the pain level was significantly affected by the depression level (P<0.01) and the opioid use (P<0.01). Conclusion, In summary, the higher the level of pain the terminally ill cancer patents had the higher the depression level as well as the opioid use. Thus, health care professionals need to continuously provide holistic care for them to die comfortably.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2000

Purpose: This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical features and complication such as esophageal stricture in children with corrosive esophagitis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 31 children who accidentally ingested corrosive materials and visited to emergency room of Chonnam National University Hospital from Jan. 1992 to Dec. 1999. Twenty-one children were examined by upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy to evaluate location and severity of caustic injury. Results: 1) Among 31 patients, there were 20 males and 11 females and the ratio of male to female was 2:1. Average age at diagnosis was 2.3 years (12 months to 9.8 years). Twenty-seven (87.1%) patients were accidentally ingested vinegar. 2) Initial presenting symptoms were dysphagia (54.8%), vomiting (48.3%), chemical burn on lips and skin (45.2%), excessive salivation (45.2%), coughing and respiratory grunting (32.3%) and aspiration pneumonia (9.8%). 3) UGI endoscopic examination showed caustic injury in 17 children: grade I in 8, grade II in 7 and grade III in 2. The region of caustic injury was proximal esophagus in 5, distal esophagus in 3, entire esophagus in 9 and stomach in 6. 4) Corrosive esophageal strictures developed in 6 children (19.4%) and gastric outlet stricture in 1 (3.2%). All of them showed grade II or III caustic injury on endoscopic examination. Conclusion: The development of esophageal stricture was related to the severity of the caustic injury. Early UGI endoscopic examination in caustic ingestion seems to be useful for prediction of development of caustic stricture.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.369-375
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• 2007

Purpose : There have been numerous researches on urine ${\beta}_2$-microglobulin (${\beta}_2$-M) concerned with primary nephrotic syndrome and other glomerular diseases, but not much has been done in relation to pediatric age groups. Thus, our hospital decided to study the relations between the analysis of the test results we have conducted on pediatric patients and renal functions. Methods : Retrospective data analysis was done to 102 patients of ages 0 to 4 with renal diseases with symptoms such as hematuria, edema, and proteinuria who were admitted to Chung-Ang Yongsan Hospital and who participated in 24-hour urine and urine ${\beta}_2$-M excretion test between January of 2003 and January of 2006. Each disease was differentiated as independent variables, and the statistical difference of the results of urine ${\beta}_2$-M excretion of several groups of renal diseases was analyzed with student T-test by using test results as dependent variables. Results : Levels of urine ${\beta}_2$-M excretion of the 102 patients were as follows : 52 had primary nephrotic syndrome [MCNS (n=45, $72{\pm}45{\mu}g/g$ creatinine, ${\mu}g/g-Cr$), MPGN (n=3, $154{\pm}415{\mu}g/g-Cr$), FSGS (n=4, $188{\pm}46{\mu}g/-Cr$], six had APSGN ($93{\pm}404{\mu}g/g-Cr$), seven had IgA nephropathy ($3,414{\pm}106{\mu}g/g-Cr$), 9 had APN ($742{\pm}160{\mu}g/g-Cr$), 16 had cystitis ($179{\pm}168{\mu}g/g-Cr$), and 12 had HSP nephritis ($109{\pm}898{\mu}g/g-Cr$). IgA nephropathy (P<0.05) and APN (P<0.05) were significantly higher than in other renal diseases. Among primary nephrotic syndrome, FSGS with higher results of ${\beta}_2$-microglobulin test had longer treatment period (P<0.01) when compared to the lower groups, but no significant differences in Ccr, BUN, or Cr were observed. Conclusion : IgA nephropathy and APN groups showed significantly higher level of ${\beta}_2$-M excretion value than other groups. Although ${\beta}_2$-microglobulin value is not appropriate as an indicator of general renal function and pathology, it seems to be sufficient in the differential diagnosis of the UTI and in the prediction of the treat-ment period of nephrotic syndrome patients.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.75-83
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• 2010

Purpose : This study was performed to determine the predictors of failed closure of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) following the first course of indomethacin in symptomatic preterm infants. Methods : Forty three of 43 preterm infants, admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit diagnosed with PDA and treated with indomethacin at the Korea University Medical Center between January 1990 and October 2007, ware studied. The perinatal risk factors affecting the failed closure of PDA were retrospectively assessed. Results : The failed PDA closure group included 16 (37%) out of 43 infants three of whom underwent surgery. The closure group included 27 (63%) out of 43 infants. In the failed closure group, the Apgar scores (1 min, 5 min) were significantly higher (P<0.05) and antenatal steroid administration was significantly lower (P<0.05). In addition, dopamine administration was significantly lower (P<0.05) and the mean postnatal age at diagnosis was significantly lower (P<0.05). Multiple logistic regression for the prediction of failed PDA closure found only antenatal steroid administration (OR 0.092, CI 0,010-0.826, P=0.0331) as an associated factor. Conclusion : In patients with antenatal steroid administration the failed PDA closure rate was significantly lower. Therefore, antenatal steroid administration can be considered as an important factor for the closure of PDA in preterm pregnancies.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.153-161
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• 2003

Purpose: Recently the occurrence of dipyridamole stress-induced short term stunning was proven and it is reported that Bland Altman analysis by repeated acquisition Tl-201 gated myocardial SPECT (gSPECT) revealed the 95% limit of agreement for LVEF was 10.3 %. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical value of dipyridamole induced transient LV dysfunction on Tl-201 gSPECT. Materials and Methods: Total 93 patients were included and coronary angiography was peformed in all patients less than 2 month from gSPECT. The patients with myocardial infarction were excluded. All patients underwent both dipyridamole stress and 4-h redistribution Tl-201 gSPECT. Forty nine patients of total 93 showed normal coronary arteries (Group 1) and the remaining 44 patients had coronary artery disease (Group 2). We compared LV EF, EDV and ESV during post-stress and 4-h redistribution period calculated by gSPECT using quantitative gated SPECT software and the incidence of dipyridamole induced transient LV dysfunction between group 1 and 2. The criteria for transient LV dysfunction was defined more decrease ${\geq}11%$ of LVEF during post-stress than 4-h redistribution according to previous reported Bland Altman analysis. Results: During post-stress and 4-h redistribution average of 3.1% increment in LVEF, 6.6% increment in LVEDV and 0.7% decrement in LVESV were shown after stress in Group 1, whereas 4.1% decrement, 9.7% increment and 7.2% increment in Group 2 respectively. Dipyridamole induced transient LV dysfunction was only detected in group 2 (18.2%) and not in group 1. It was more frequently observed in triple vessel disease and left main disease (31.8%, N=22) than one and two vessel disease (4.5%, N=22). Conclusion: As with Tc-99m myocardial agent post-stress LV dysfunction was observed in dipyridamole Tl-201 gSPECT. It was only detected in CAD and more frequently occurred in multivessel disease. Thus this finding seems to provide additional information in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease and prediction of prognosis.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.27 no.7
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• pp.380-394
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• 2015

This article reviews the papers published in the Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering during 2014. It is intended to understand the status of current research in the areas of heating, cooling, ventilation, sanitation, and indoor environments of buildings and plant facilities. Conclusions are as follows. (1) The research works on the thermal and fluid engineering have been reviewed as groups of heat and mass transfer, cooling and heating, and air-conditioning, the flow inside building rooms, and smoke control on fire. Research issues dealing with duct and pipe were reduced, but flows inside building rooms, and smoke controls were newly added in thermal and fluid engineering research area. (2) Research works on heat transfer area have been reviewed in the categories of heat transfer characteristics, pool boiling and condensing heat transfer and industrial heat exchangers. Researches on heat transfer characteristics included the results for thermal contact resistance measurement of metal interface, a fan coil with an oval-type heat exchanger, fouling characteristics of plate heat exchangers, effect of rib pitch in a two wall divergent channel, semi-empirical analysis in vertical mesoscale tubes, an integrated drying machine, microscale surface wrinkles, brazed plate heat exchangers, numerical analysis in printed circuit heat exchanger. In the area of pool boiling and condensing, non-uniform air flow, PCM applied thermal storage wall system, a new wavy cylindrical shape capsule, and HFC32/HFC152a mixtures on enhanced tubes, were actively studied. In the area of industrial heat exchangers, researches on solar water storage tank, effective design on the inserting part of refrigerator door gasket, impact of different boundary conditions in generating g-function, various construction of SCW type ground heat exchanger and a heat pump for closed cooling water heat recovery were performed. (3) In the field of refrigeration, various studies were carried out in the categories of refrigeration cycle, alternative refrigeration and modelling and controls including energy recoveries from industrial boilers and vehicles, improvement of dehumidification systems, novel defrost systems, fault diagnosis and optimum controls for heat pump systems. It is particularly notable that a substantial number of studies were dedicated for the development of air-conditioning and power recovery systems for electric vehicles in this year. (4) In building mechanical system research fields, seventeen studies were reported for achieving effective design of the mechanical systems, and also for maximizing the energy efficiency of buildings. The topics of the studies included energy performance, HVAC system, ventilation, and renewable energies, piping in the buildings. Proposed designs, performance performance tests using numerical methods and experiments provide useful information and key data which can improve the energy efficiency of the buildings. (5) The field of architectural environment was mostly focused on indoor environment and building energy. The main researches of indoor environment were related to the evaluation of work noise in tunnel construction and the simulation and development of a light-shelf system. The subjects of building energy were worked on the energy saving of office building applied with window blind and phase change material(PCM), a method of existing building energy simulation using energy audit data, the estimation of thermal consumption unit of apartment building and its case studies, dynamic window performance, a writing method of energy consumption report and energy estimation of apartment building using district heating system. The remained studies were related to the improvement of architectural engineering education system for plant engineering industry, estimating cooling and heating degree days for variable base temperature, a prediction method of underground temperature, the comfort control algorithm of car air conditioner, the smoke control performance evaluation of high-rise building, evaluation of thermal energy systems of bio safety laboratory and a development of measuring device of solar heat gain coefficient of fenestration system.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.32 no.5 s.94
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• pp.313-325
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• 2002

Three-dimensional CT imaging is efficient in examining specific structures in the craniofacial area by reproducing actual measurements through minimization of errors from patient movement and image magnification. Due to the rapid development of digital image technology and the expansion of treatment range a need for developing three -dimensional analysis has become urgent. Therefore the purpose of this study was to evaluate the percentage of error and magnification of three-dimensional CT using a dried skull and Vworks $program^{TM}$ (Cybermed Inc., Seoul, Korea) and also to obtain landmarks that are easy to designate and reproduce in three-dimensional images using the Vmorph-proto $program^{TM}$ (Cybermed Inc., Seoul, Korea). The following conclusions were obtained, 1. In the comparison of actual measurements from the dried skull and the three-dimensional image obtained from the Vworks program, the mean error was 0.99mm and the magnification was 1.04%. 2. Clinically useful hard tissue landmarks from three-dimensional images were Supraorbitale, Lateral orbital margin, Infraorbitale, Nasion, ANS, A point, Zygomaticomaxilla, Upper incisor, Lower incisor, B point, pogonion, Menton, PNS, Condylar inner margin, Condylar outer margin, Porion, Condylion, Gonionl, Gonion2, Gonion3, Sigmoid notch and Basion. 3. Clinically useful soft tissue landmarks from three-dimensional images were Endocanthion, Exocanthion, Soft tissue Nasion, Pronasale, Alare lateralis, Upper nostril point, Lower nostril point, Subnasale, Upper lip point, Cheilion, Stomion, Lower lip center, Soft tissue B, Pogonion, Menton and Preaurale. The Vworks program can be considered a clinically efficient tool to produce and measure three-dimensional images. Most of the hard and soft tissue landmarks proposed above are anatomically important points which are also easily reproducible and designated. These landmarks can be beneficial in three-dimensional diagnosis and the prediction of changes before and after surgery.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.148-155
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• 2018

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of Bacille Calmette-$Gu{\acute{e}}rin$ (BCG) site reaction in terms of diagnosis and outcome prediction in young children with Kawasaki disease (KD). Methods: The incidence of BCG site reaction in the respective age ranges was investigated in 1,058 patients who were admitted at Asan Medical Center between January 2006 and February 2017. The 416 patients under 18 months of age were enrolled as subjects for the analysis of the association between BCG site reaction and other laboratory and clinical findings. The analysis was performed separately in complete and incomplete KD groups. Results: The incidence rate of BCG site reaction was peaked at 6-12 months (83%) and decreased with increasing age after 12 months in 1,058 patients (P<0.001). The incidence rate was above 70% in KD aged less than 18 months and more frequent than those of cervical lymphadenopathy. The logistic regression analyses showed that the principal clinical findings including conjunctivitis (P=0.781), red lips/oral mucosa (P=0.963), rash (P=0.510), cervical lymphadenopathy (P=0.363), changes in extremities (P=0.283) and the coronary artery aneurysm (P=0.776) were not associated with the BCG site reaction. Conclusions: The BCG site reaction could be a useful diagnostic tool independent to principal clinical findings in KD developing in children aged <18 months, who underwent BCG vaccination. Outcome of KD patients was not different between groups with or without the BCG site reaction in both complete KD and incomplete KD.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.864-881
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• 2021

Purpose: This study aims is to provide a total care solution preventing disaster based on Big Data and AI technology and to service safety considered by individual situations and various risk characteristics. The purpose is to suggest a method that customized comprehensive index services to prevent and respond to safety accidents for calculating the living safety index that quantitatively represent individual safety levels in relation to daily life safety. Method: In this study, we use method of mixing AHP(Analysis Hierarchy Process) and Likert Scale that extracted from consensus formation model of the expert group. We organize evaluation items that can evaluate life safety prevention services into risk indicators, vulnerability indicators, and prevention indicators. And We made up AHP hierarchical structure according to the AHP decision methodology and proposed a method to calculate relative weights between evaluation criteria through pairwise comparison of each level item. In addition, in consideration of the expansion of life safety prevention services in the future, the Likert scale is used instead of the AHP pair comparison and the weights between individual services are calculated. Result: We obtain result that is weights for life safety prevention services and reflected them in the individual risk index calculated through the artificial intelligence prediction model of life safety prevention services, so the comprehensive index was calculated. Conclusion: In order to apply the implemented model, a test environment consisting of a life safety prevention service app and platform was built, and the efficacy of the function was evaluated based on the user scenario. Through this, the life safety index presented in this study was confirmed to support the golden time for diagnosis, response and prevention of safety risks by comprehensively indication the user's current safety level.