• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.33-40
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• 2018

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the factors associated with the spatial distribution of the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the neighborhoods of Tehran, Iran using Bayesian spatial models. Methods: This ecological study was implemented in Tehran on the neighborhood level. Socioeconomic variables, risk factors, and health costs were extracted from the Equity Assessment Study conducted in Tehran. The data on CRC incidence were extracted from the Iranian population-based cancer registry. The $Besag-York-Molli{\acute{e}}$ (BYM) model was used to identify factors associated with the spatial distribution of CRC incidence. The software programs OpenBUGS version 3.2.3, ArcGIS 10.3, and GeoDa were used for the analysis. Results: The Moran index was statistically significant for all the variables studied (p<0.05). The BYM model showed that having a women head of household (median standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 1.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06 to 2.53), living in a rental house (median SIR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.96), not consuming milk daily (median SIR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55 to 0.94) and having greater household health expenditures (median SIR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.68) were associated with a statistically significant elevation in the SIR of CRC. The median (interquartile range) and mean (standard deviation) values of the SIR of CRC, with the inclusion of all the variables studied in the model, were 0.57 (1.01) and 1.05 (1.31), respectively. Conclusions: Inequality was found in the spatial distribution of CRC incidence in Tehran on the neighborhood level. Paying attention to this inequality and the factors associated with it may be useful for resource allocation and developing preventive strategies in at-risk areas.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.17
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• pp.7917-7922
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• 2015

DNA ploidy is an important prognostic parameter in paediatric B-ALL, but the significance of the S-phase fraction is unclear. In present study, DNA ploidy was assessed in 40 pediatric B-ALL cases by flow cytometry. The DI (DNA index) and percentage of cells in S-phase were calculated using Modfit software. Aneuploidy was noted in 26/40 (65%) cases. A DI of 1.10-1.6 (hyperdiploidy B) was noted in 20/40 (50%) and 6/40 (15%) had a DI>1.60 (triploid and tetraploid range). Some 14/40 (35%) cases had a diploid DI between 0.90-1.05. None of the cases had a DI <0.90 (hypodiploid) or in the 1.06-1.09 (hyperdiploid A) range. The mean S-phase fraction was 2.6%, with 24/40 (60%) having low and 16/40 (40%) high S-phase fractions. No correlation was noted with standard ALL risk and treatment response factors with DI values or S-phase data, except for a positive correlation of low S-phase with high NCI risk category (p=0.032). Overall frequency of hyperdiploidy in our cohort of B-ALL patients was very high (65%). No correlation between hyperdiploidy B and low TLC or common B-phenotype was observed in our study as 42% cases with DI 1.10-1.6 had TLC> $50{\times}10^9$ and 57.1% CD 10 negativity. The study also highlighted that S-phase fraction analysis does not add any prognostic information and is not a useful parameter for assessment in ALL cases. However, larger studies with long term outcome analysis are needed to derive definitive conclusions.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.353-357
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• 2005

Declining auditory performance with advanced age is a well known and common problem that is becoming more Prevalent due to the increasing number of elderly people in our society. We introduce a novel ARCISM (Audiogram Result Computer Input. Save & Management software) data management program which enables the assessment of the risk of past history of hearing impairment on the basis of known risk factors. This study investigates the reference levels of pure tone hearing threshold of normal aging in Korean and the difference between fenders. The subjects were carefully selected by questionnaire and absence of any history of otologic infection, noise exposure. and ototoxic drug among 1603 subjects. who visited Health Promotion Center in Daegu Fatima Hospital for one year. The results show (1) hearing sensitivity declines with age. (2) higher frequency shows steeper slope of hearing declines than lower frequency. and (3) there were more hearing loss at 4 and 8 kHz in men than in women. Due to the ARCISM program. it was possible to manage huge data of hearing results and to obtain the reference level of a9e-related hearing declines. Furthermore, we expect that the results of this study can be the fundamental data for hearing rehabilitation for the elderly and for developing suitable hearing aids for Korean.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup3
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• pp.53-57
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• 2016

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers. Due to demographic changes, it is predicted that the incidence of this cancer will increase. Variations of its incidence rate among geographical areas are due to various contributing factors. Since there have been a lack of studies on this topic in our country, the present assessment of spatial patterns of colorectal cancer incidence in Iran was performed. In this ecological study, the new cases of colon cancer were extracted from Cancer Registry Center report of the Health Deputy of Iran in 2009. The reported incidences of the disease were standardized on the basis of the World Health Organization population and the direct method. Then the data were inserted into the GIS software, and finally, using the analysis of hot spots (Getis-Ord Gi) high-risk areas were drawn. Provinces that are higher or lower than the national average (1.9 SD) were considered hot spots or cold spots, significant at the level of 0.05. A total of 6,210 cases of colorectal cancer were registered in Iran in 2009, of which 3,727 were in men and 2,783 in women (age-standardized rates of 11.3 and 10.9 per 100,000 population, respectively). The results showed that in central and northern Iran including Isfahan, Qom, Tehran, Qazvin and Mazandaran significant hot spots in men were present (p <0.05). In women also we have high incidence in northern and central states: Mazandaran province (p<0.01) and the province of Tehran (p<0.05) had higher incidences than the national average and were apparent as significant hot spots. Analysis of the spatial distribution of colorectal cancer showed significant differences between different areas pointing to the necessity for further epidemiological studies into the etiology and early detection.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.676-693
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• 2016

Although the methodology and models to assess the economic value of technology assets such as patents are being presented in various ways, there does not exist a structured assessment model which enables to objectively assess a database property's value, and thus there is a need to enhance the application feasibility of practical purposes such as licensing of DB assets, commercialization transfer, security, etc., through the establishment of the valuation model and the life-cycle decision logic. In this study, during the valuation process of DB assets, the size of customer demand group expected and the amount of demand, the size and importance of data sets, the approximate degree of database' contribution to the sales performance of a company, the life-cycle of database assets, etc. will be analyzed whether they are appropriate as input variables or not. As for most of DB assets, due to irregular updates there are hardly cases their life-cycle expires, and thus software package's persisting period, ie. 5 years, is often considered the standard. We herein propose the life-cycle estimation logic and valuation models of DB assets based on the concept of half life for DB usage frequency under the condition that DB assets' value decays and there occurs no data update over time.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.20-24
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• 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition has multiple impacts on surgical success, postoperative complications, duration of hospital stay, and costs, particularly for cancer patients. There are various nutrition risk screening tools available for clinical use. Herein, we aim to determine the most appropriate nutritional risk screening system for esophageal cancer (EC) patients in China. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In total, 138 EC patients were enrolled in this study and evaluated by experienced nurses using three different nutritional screening tools, the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 tool (NRS2002), the Patient-generated Subjective Globe Assessment (PG-SGA), and the Nutrition Risk Index (NRI).We compared sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and Youden index generated by each of the three screening tools. Finally, cut-off points for all three tools were re-defined to optimize and validate the best nutritional risk screening tool for assessing EC patients. RESULTS: Our data suggested that all three screening tools were 100% sensitive for EC patients, while the specificities were 44.4%, 2.96%, and 59.26% for NRS 2002, PG-SGA, and NRI, respectively. NRI had a higher positive likelihood ratio as well as a higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve compared to those of NRS 2002 and PG-SGA; although, all three tools had null negative likelihood ratios. After adjusting the cut-off points, the specificity and accuracy for all tools were significantly improved, however, the NRI remained the most appropriate nutritional risk screening system for EC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The NRI is the most suitable (highest sensitivity and accuracy) nutritional risk screening tool for EC patients. The performance of the NRI can be significantly improved if the cut-off point is modified according to the results obtained using MedCalc software.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.347-358
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• 2012

The SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) should be calibrated and validated with observed data to secure accuracy of model prediction. Recently, the SWAT-CUP (Calibration and Uncertainty Program for SWAT) software, which can calibrate SWAT using various algorithms, were developed to help SWAT users calibrate model efficiently. In this study, three algorithms (GLUE: Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation, PARASOL: Parameter solution, SUFI-2: Sequential Uncertainty Fitting ver. 2) in the SWAT-CUP were applied for the Soyang-gang dam watershed to evaluate these algorithms. Simulated total streamflow and 0~75% percentile streamflow were compared with observed data, respectively. The NSE (Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency) and $R^2$ (Coefficient of Determination) values were the same from three algorithms but the P-factor for confidence of calibration ranged from 0.27 to 0.81 . the PARASOL shows the lowest p-factor (0.27), SUFI-2 gives the greatest P-factor (0.81) among these three algorithms. Based on calibration results, the SUFI-2 was found to be suitable for calibration in Soyang-gang dam watershed. Although the NSE and $R^2$ values were satisfactory for total streamflow estimation, the SWAT simulated values for low flow regime were not satisfactory (negative NSE values) in this study. This is because of limitations in semi-distributed SWAT modeling structure, which cannot simulated effects of spatial locations of HRUs (Hydrologic Response Unit) within subwatersheds in SWAT. To solve this problem, a module capable of simulating groundwater/baseflow should be developed and added to the SWAT system. With this enhancement in SWAT/SWAT-CUP, the SWAT estimated streamflow values could be used in determining standard flow rate in TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Load) application at a watershed.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.289-302
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• 2011

Since the frequency of the earthquake occurrence in Korean peninsular is continuously increasing, the possibility that massive landslides are triggered by earthquake is also growing in Korea. Previously, the landslide is known to be induced by large magnitude earthquake, whose magnitude is larger than 6.0. However, the landslide can be induced by only small magnitude earthquake, especially in the fully saturated soil. Therefore, the susceptibility of landslide caused by small magnitude earthquake in fully saturated soil is analyzed in this study. For that, the topographical and geological characteristics of the site were obtained and managed by GIS software. In the procedure of the study, slope angle, cohesion, friction angle, unit weight of soil were obtained and constructed as a spatial database layer. Combining these data sets in a dynamic model based on Newmark's displacement analysis, the landslide displacements were estimated in each grid cell. In order to check out the possibility of the earthquake induced landslides, the level of the groundwater table is varied from dry to 80% saturated soil. In addition, in order to analyze the effect of the magnitude of earthquake and distance to epicenter, four different earthquakes epicenters were considered in the study area.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2007

The purposes of the present study were to determine the difference of functional outcome, and to identify factors associated with functional difference in patients with stroke. The sample consisted of 56 stroke patients who had received physical therapy at the physical therapy unit of the Dongeui Medical Center in Busan city between January 2000 and June 2002. Stroke patients were evaluated by physical therapists 3 times; The first day in physical therapy (PT) (T1), one month after the first day in PT (T2), and two months after the first day in PT (T3). Functional status was assessed with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) instrument, a validated instrument for documenting the severity of disability and assessing the outcome of rehabilitation treatment. Functional gain was calculated over T2-T1, T3-T1, and T3-T2. SAS statistical software was used for the analysis. The Student's t-test, paired t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA/Tukey and Scheffe), and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to examine the functional difference in variables. Repeated measures ANOVA was also used to analyze the functional difference by time (T1, T2, and T3). Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the effects of independent variables on the difference of functional outcome as defined by the FIM score. A total of 56 stroke patients were evaluated, their average age${\pm}$standard deviation was $61.6{\pm}9.3$ years (range: 40~81 yr). The functional status of patients who received physical therapy for about 2~3 months was significantly improved (mean FIM scores, $20.5{\pm}1.8$, $28.9{\pm}1.9$, and $8.41{\pm}1.1$ points for each time period, respectively) (p<.0001). Diabetes was significantly associated with the FIM score for T2-T1 (p<.05). The type of diagnosis was significantly associated with the FIM score for T3-T1 (p<.05). Gender, smoking, and the FIM score on admission were significantly associated with the FIM score for T3-T2 (p<.05). In conclusion, gender, smoking, diabetes, the type of diagnosis, and the FIM score on admission were significantly associated with improved FIM scores. We recommend that further research should explore the functional outcome by using larger sample sizes, longer follow-up periods, and more sensitive assessment instruments.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.389-397
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• 2016

This study aims to test the efficacy of English-based automated computer scoring models and machine translation to score Korean college students' written responses on natural selection concept items. To this end, I collected 128 pre-service biology teachers' written responses on four-item instrument (total 512 written responses). The machine translation software (i.e., Google Translate) translated both original responses and spell-corrected responses. The presence/absence of five scientific ideas and three $na{\ddot{i}}ve$ ideas in both translated responses were judged by the automated computer scoring models (i.e., EvoGrader). The computer-scored results (4096 predictions) were compared with expert-scored results. The results illustrated that no significant differences in both average scores and statistical results using average scores was found between the computer-scored result and experts-scored result. The Pearson correlation coefficients of composite scores for each student between computer scoring and experts scoring were 0.848 for scientific ideas and 0.776 for $na{\ddot{i}}ve$ ideas. The inter-rater reliability indices (Cohen kappa) between computer scoring and experts scoring for linguistically simple concepts (e.g., variation, competition, and limited resources) were over 0.8. These findings reveal that the English-based automated computer scoring models and machine translation can be a promising method in scoring Korean college students' written responses on natural selection concept items.