• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.216-221
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• 2017

Background: This study was conducted to investigate preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer. Methods: Between January 2000 and July 2011, 1298 patients with primary adenocarcinoma colorectal cancer without metastasis, who underwent curative resection were retrospectively identified. The patients were divided into two groups according to serum CEA level at primary diagnosis: a high CEA (HCEA) group (serum CEA ${\geq}6ng/mL$) and a normal CEA (NCEA) group (serum CEA <6 ng/mL). A 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was applied to reduce bias. Finally, 364 patients were enrolled in this study. Matched variables were age, gender, preoperative chemoradiotherapy, tumor site, cell differentiation and pathologic stage. Results: The clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups did not differ significantly difference. The systemic metastasis rate was 16.5% (30/182) and 25.3% (46/182) in the NCEA and HCEA groups, respectively (p=0.039). There were no significant differences in local recurrence or metastatic sites between groups. The 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate of the HCEA group was worse than that of the NCEA group; however, there was no significant difference in overall survival between the two groups. Conclusion: Elevated preoperative CEA was related to frequent systemic recurrence and low DFS. Therefore, elevated preoperative CEA could be considered a prognostic factor for worse clinical outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.230-235
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• 2020

Systemic therapy for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) still remains challenging because there are no targeted agents or endocrine therapies currently available. The present case report documents the successful use of cisplatin monotherapy to manage a heavily pretreated TNBC patient showing poor response to therapy. The patient was a 51-year-old woman who had already undergone several lines of systemic chemotherapy for widespread TNBC. Although the mutation analysis performed on DNA isolated from blood cells and progressed lesion samples confirmed the tumor to be germline BRCA wild-type, cisplatin monotherapy was administered based on the increasing evidence of safety and efficacy of platinum for breast cancer. After three cycles of cisplatin treatment, the patient's metastatic lesions dramatically improved without any major toxicity, and she completed 17 cycles with good response. This case study indicates that patients with heavily pretreated TNBC can potentially achieve a good response to cisplatin monotherapy.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.1-35
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• 2016

Objectives : The aim of this preliminary study is to suggest a clinical approach on prostate cancer through the analysis of existing clinical practice guidelines or clinical studies. Materials and Methods : The data related on the treatment of prostate cancer were collected using various search engines such as Pub Med, KIOM OASIS, CNKI. Then, data were analyzed to evaluate the validity of recommendation of treatment. Results : Prostate cancer has the highest prevalence around the world. Recently, the incidence of prostate cancer in Korea is rapidly increasing. Especially, it was reported that incidence rate rose up to 80% by age 80 years. In recent studies, applying combined traditional and conventional medicine were reported to improve the survival, quality of life, immune function, and suppress of tumor growth in prostate cancer. However there has not been an objective and systemic clinical guideline for prostate cancer in Korean Medicine. Accordingly, it has been difficult for doctors to apply optimized therapeutic treatment in clinics. This study will show a preliminary approach to establish clinical practice guideline for prostate cancer of Korean Medicine. Conclusion : Further objective and systemic clinical studies by Korean Medicine are needed to develop more advanced clinical practice guidelines of prostate cancer.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2010

This is the third series of article on dental occlusion and relationship to TMD and systemic symptoms. In this part of the series, it will overview the theory, treatment methods, criteria, their limitation of Chirodontics, Dental Distress Syndrome (DDS) and quadrant theorem(QT). Chirodontics has its root on Chiropractic and to maintain the 'healthy status' of TMJ with stable occlusion via dental treatment. Dental distress syndrome on the other hand believes that all the TMD has originated from reduced or collapse of posterior support and incorrect posterior vertical support had caused imbalance of the head and neck structure which eventually affect the whole body symptoms. The analysis and treatment is planned using quadrant theorem where the position of head, rotatory pivot point and occlusal plane is analyzed.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.32-45
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• 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to develop two medical tourism system models which explain medical tourism phenomenon with a systemic approach. Methodology/Approach: This research was conducted using a qualitative data analysis which mainly refer previous references in relation to medical tourism in the areas of tourism and medicine. Leiper's tourism system model was utilized as a conceptual framework. In-depth interviews with experts in the area were attempted in order to pretest the models. Findings: This research suggests a medical tourism system framework and a medical service provision framework. The first model presents medical tourism components and their relationships within a framework presented in a diagram. The second model shows the relationships among medical services required by medical tourists, the service providers, and service human resources along with movements of medical tourists. Practical Implications: The first model presents a spatial composition of medical tourism components and their relationships, whereas the second model shows the linkage among medical services, the service providers, and relevant service human resources along with time sequential steps of medical tourists. These two models are complementary and may be used as useful tools to observe medical tourism phenomenon with a systemic and holistic approach. These two models may enable stake holders avoid unnecessary confusions and conflicts that result in duplication of government policies and a waste of budget and human resources.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.599-624
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• 2010

Offshore wind turbines are relatively complex structural and mechanical systems located in a highly demanding environment. In the present paper the fundamental aspects and the major issues related to the design of these special structures are outlined. Particularly, a systemic approach is proposed for a global design of such structures, in order to handle coherently their different parts: the decomposition of these structural systems, the required performance and the acting loads are all considered under this philosophy. According to this strategy, a proper numerical modeling requires the adoption of a suitable technique in order to organize the qualitative and quantitative assessments in various sub-problems, which can be solved by means of sub-models at different levels of detail, for both structural behavior and loads simulation. Specifically, numerical models are developed to assess the safety performances under aerodynamic and hydrodynamic actions. In order to face the problems of the actual design of a wind farm in the Mediterranean Sea, in this paper, three schemes of turbines support structures have been considered and compared: the mono pile, the tripod and the jacket support structure typologies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.38-46
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• 2015

Purpose: The object of this study is to identify the reason why school health education act had not been enforced properly, and to find out implications for improving. Methods: The implementation process of school health education act was described and the imperatives of the process were analysed. M. Rein's Policy Implementation Model was used as an analysis framework. The sources of this study was based on the minutes of parliament, government reports, materials for the meetings of policy makers, the press, etc. Results: The school health education act clarified mandatory and systemic health education in it, but it did not clearly mentioned about 'the introduction of compulsory health education subject'. The bureaucrats of National Educational Ministry who are responsible for policy implementation, did not behave in a friendly manner toward the school health education act. What is more, the ways of mandatory and systemic school health education could not be discussed reasonably in the implementation process. Through this study it was found that the rational-bureaucratic imperative played the main role in the implementation process of school health education act due to the limitation of the legal imperative and the consensual imperative. Conclusion: The result of this study suggests the strong need to make up for the defect of the two imperatives, and to reform the rational-bureaucratic imperative.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.149-158
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• 2019

Due to the rapid development of IT (information technology) and internet, products become smart and able to collect, process and produce information and can think of themselves to provide better service to consumers. However, research on the characteristics of smart product is still sparse. In this paper, we report the systemic development of a scale to measure the perceived product smartness associated with smart product. To develop product smartness scale, this study follows systemic scale development processes of item generation, item reduction, scale validation, reliability and validity test consequently. And, after acquiring a large amount of qualitative interview data asking the definition of smart product, we add a unique process to reduce the initial items using both a text mining method using 'r' s/w and traditional reliability and validity tests including factor analysis. Based on an initial qualitative inquiry and subsequent quantitative survey, an eight-factor scale of product smartness is developed. The eight factors are multi-functionality, human-like touch, ability to cooperate, autonomy, situatedness, network connectivity, integrity, and learning capability consequently. Results from Korean samples support the proposed measures of product smartness in terms of reliability, validity, and dimensionality. Implications and directions for further study are discussed. The developed scale offers important theoretical and pragmatic implications for researchers and practitioners.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.177-186
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• 1985

Effect of food on the absorption characteristics of oral rifampicin was studied in the fasted rats. Rifampicin dissolved in a new cosolvent was also injected to the rats intravenously, and the pharmacokinetic analysis was performed to explain the effect of food on the gastrointestinal absorption of rifampicin. Rifampicin was absorbed rapidly and completely in the fasting state. Food had a profound effect on the gastrointestinal absorption of rifampicin, i. e., bioavailability and the extent of absorption were decreased to less than one-third of the fasting state in the postprandial state. Food seemed to imhibit the absorption and reabsorption of rifampicin in the gastrointestinal tract, but not the absorption rate constant. Hepatobiliary excretion seemed to be the major route of elimination, since the renal clearance accounted for only 8 % of the systemic clearance. Nevertheless, first-pass effect was negligibly small and most of rifampicin absorbed could reach systemic circulation. Serum concentration change of oral rifampicin on multiple dosing differed markedly in the fasting and postprandial state, which suggested the need of careful adjustment of dosage regimen in both states.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.487-494
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• 1995

Solid lipid microspheres (SLMs) were prepared using various lipids and solidifying agents, in order to enhance the gastrointestinal absorption of Cyclosporine A (Cs A) which is a practically water-insoluble drug with low systemic bioavailability. Egg lecithin and HCO-60 (polyoxyethylated 60 mol, hydrogenated castor oil) were used as lipids. Stearic acid and stearyl alcohol were used as solidifying agents. Emulsion concentrates containing Cs A were prepared by mixing the melted lipid and solidifying agent with water, employing bile salts as a cosurfactant. SLMs were obtained by dispersing the warm emulsion concentrate in cold distilled water under mechanical stirring, followed by freeze drying. Physical characteristics of each SLM were investigated by particle size analysis, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Mean particle size of SLMs was in the range of 30 to 40.mu.m. The SLMs were in good appearance with spherical shape before freeze drying, but were deformed partially after freeze drying. Drug loading efficiencies of SLMs were observed as high as 80 to 90% in average. The systemic bioavailability of Cs A from different SLM formula was investigated in rats following oral administration. Cs A in whole blood was extracted and assayed by HPLC. SLMs revealed the higher bioavailabilities than the standard formula based on the marketed product. SLMs might have several advantages over standard formula for enhanced gastrointestinal absorption, controlled release properties, high loading capacity of the water-insoluble drug, and feasibility of solid dosage forms with better stability in storage.