• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.4603-4608
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• 2015

Background: To determine the potential value of serum tumor markers in predicting pCR (pathological complete response) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively monitored the pro-, mid-, and post-neoadjuvant treatment serum tumor marker concentrations in patients with locally advanced breast cancer (stage II-III) who accepted pre-surgical chemotherapy or chemotherapy in combination with targeted therapy at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between September 2011 and January 2014 and investigated the association of serum tumor marker levels with therapeutic effect. Core needle biopsy samples were assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) prior to neoadjuvant treatment to determine hormone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2), and proliferation index Ki67 values. In our study, therapeutic response was evaluated by pCR, defined as the disappearance of all invasive cancer cells from excised tissue (including primary lesion and axillary lymph nodes) after completion of chemotherapy. Analysis of variance of repeated measures and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed for statistical analysis of the data. Results: A total of 348 patients were recruited in our study after excluding patients with incomplete clinical information. Of these, 106 patients were observed to have acquired pCR status after treatment completion, accounting for approximately 30.5% of study individuals. In addition, 147patients were determined to be Her-2 positive, among whom the pCR rate was 45.6% (69 patients). General linear model analysis (repeated measures analysis of variance) showed that the concentration of cancer antigen (CA) 15-3 increased after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in both pCR and non-pCR groups, and that there were significant differences between the two groups (P=0.008). The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) of pre-, mid-, and post-treatment CA15-3 concentrations demonstrated low-level predictive value (AUC=0.594, 0.644, 0.621, respectively). No significant differences in carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) or CA12-5 serum levels were observed between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.196 and 0.693, respectively). No efficient AUC of CEA or CA12-5 concentrations were observed to predict patient response toward neoadjuvant treatment (both less than 0.7), nor were differences between the two groups observed at different time points. We then analyzed the Her-2 positive subset of our cohort. Significant differences in CEA concentrations were identified between the pCR and non-pCR groups (P=0.039), but not in CA15-3 or CA12-5 levels (p=0.092 and 0.89, respectively). None of the ROC curves showed underlying prognostic value, as the AUCs of these three markers were less than 0.7. The ROC-AUCs for the CA12-5 concentrations of inter-and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the estrogen receptor negative HER2 positive subgroup were 0.735 and 0.767, respectively. However, the specificity and sensitivity values were at odds with each other which meant that improving either the sensitivity or specificity would impair the efficiency of the other. Conclusions: Serum tumor markers CA15-3, CA12-5, and CEA might have little clinical significance in predicting neoadjuvant treatment response in locally advanced breast cancer.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.271-276
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• 2006

This study set out to analyze the relationships between the senior citizens' dental health activities and dental health conditions, to provide basic data to develop a program for their better dental health, and finally to search for the ways to improve their life quality through dental health care. The subjects were 142 senior citizens(58 were male and 84 were female) who were 65 years old or older and visited a dental hospital or clinic in the Seoul metropolitan area from April 17 to April 28, 2006. With the cooperation from the dentists, the investigators examined their dental conditions and conducted one-on-one interviews to collect the information about their demographic characteristics, dental health activities, and subjective dental health conditions. The collected data were analyzed with T-test, ANOVA and Pearson's correlation coefficient using the SPSS WIN 11.5 program. The analysis results were summarized as follows: First, 58 men(40.8%) and 84 women(59.2%) consisted of the subject group, where percentage of the female participants was bigger Those who were aged from 65 to 69 made the biggest age group in the subjects, accounting for 58.5% with 83. Second, those who had three dental caries or less and then didn't treat them or treated them(F) accounted for the biggest percentage with 117(82.4%) and 72(50.7%) respectively. As for the remaining teeth, the biggest number of them(40 subjects, 28.2%) had three or less remaining. Third, it turned out the female subjects had a higher level of dental health activities than their male counterparts(P = 0.00). As for living expenses, those who were paid salary or earned income themselves carried out their dental health activities in a higher level than those who lived on the benefit from the government(p = 0.02). Fourth, the subjects' subjective dental health conditions had negative correlations with their dental caries not treated. And there were positive correlations between their dental caries not treated and dental caries lost and between their dental caries treated and remaining teeth. Fifth, those subjects who earned their living expenses themselves had the most dental caries treated at 5.4(p = 0.02), and there was statistically significant difference with the numbers. Sixth, those subjects who brushed their teeth in their own manner had 11.8 teeth lost(p = 0.05), which was more than the number of those who brushed their teeth in other methods. And there was statistically significant difference among them. The remaining teeth were found most at 17.3(p = 0.00) among those who brushed their upper and lower teeth separately. In addition, those who visited the public health center often had significantly more teeth treated(4.3) than others(p = 0.00).

• Korean Business Review
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• v.11
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• pp.241-253
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• 1998

One form of the anomalies of stock price changes as reaction to earnings information is believed to be caused by the so-called earnings fixation, which is the overreaction of stock prices to earnings. According to the Sloan (1996) study, stock price changes are positively associated with earnings at the time of earnings releases, but the association becomes negative after that, as the early overreaction is corrected. However, the problem in his study is to use cash flows computed by adjusting earnings with appropriate income statement and balance sheet items. As Bahnson et al. (1996) show, these cash flows substantially deviate from SFAS No. 95 cash flows and the sample used in this study is found to be subject to this substantial measurement error. Therefore, the result of Sloan might be driven by this error and the reexamination of earnings fixation is warranted. The results are generally consistent with those in Sloan. First, earnings is positively associated with stock price changes at the time of earnings releases, but the association becomes negative after that. Second, cash flows show a weak association with stock price changes at the time of earnings releases, but the association become stronger thereafter. Third, when seperated from cash flows, accruals have an incremental explanation about stock price changes beyond that of cash flows, accruals have a negative association later on. This finding is consistent with stock price overreaction to accruals, even when more cleaner cash flow data are used.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.353-365
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• 2019

A near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) prediction model was set to establish a rapid analysis system of wheat germplasm and provide statistical information on the characteristics of protein contents. The variability index value (VIV) of calibration resources was 0.80, the average protein content was 13.2%, and the content range was from 7.0% to 13.2%. After measuring the near-infrared spectra of calibration resources, the NIRS prediction model was developed through a regression analysis between protein content and spectra data, and then optimized by excluding outliers. The standard error of calibration, R², and the slope of the optimized model were 0.132, 0.997, and 1.000 respectively, and those of external validation results were 0.994, 0.191, and 1.013, respectively. Based on these results, a developed NIRS model could be applied to the rapid analysis of protein in wheat. The distribution of NIRS protein content of 6,794 resources were analyzed using a normal distribution analysis. The VIV was 0.79, the average protein was 12.1%, and the content range of resources accounting for 42.1% and 68% of the total accessions were 10-13% and 9.5-14.6%, respectively. The composition of total resources was classified into breeding line (3,128), landrace (2,705), and variety (961). The VIV in breeding line was 0.80, the protein average was 11.8%, and the contents of 68% of total resources ranged from 9.2% to 14.5%. The VIV in landrace was 0.76, the protein average was 12.1%, and the content range of resources of 68% of total accessions was 9.8-14.4%. The VIV in variety was 0.80, the protein average was 12.8%, and the accessions representing 68% of total resources ranged from 10.2% to 15.4%. These results should be helpful to the related experts of wheat breeding.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.10-30
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• 2001

Oriental medicine needs to be armed with theories on health-improvement concept under it and basic data matching its views, in order to participate in the health-improvement service in industrial work places. The Orient medicine health-improvement program defines factors that determine individuals' lifestyle, and provides information and technologies for workers to practice in life. To that end, this research compares and analyzes health-improvement concept and health care, defines relations between individuals' health state and their lifestyle as the basic data needed to perform health-improvement business for workers. 1. The subjects employed for this research is categorized into; by gender, males 52.1% and females 47.9% with no big difference between them; and by age, 20s, 6.1%, 30s. 33.9%, 40s, 34.1%, and 50s, 24.8% with 30-50 accounting for most of it. By marriage status, unmarried represents 7.1%, and married 79.1% with most of them married; by revenue, under one million won represents 3.0%, 1-2 million won 26.4%, 2-2.49 million won 11.2%, above 2.5 million won 11.2%, and 1-2.5 million won a majority. By living location, owned houses represents 65.4%, rented houses 14.7%, monthly-rented 9.5%; and by education, elementary and middle school represent 16.9%, high school and its dropouts 22.6%, and junior college and higher 51.6%, with high school and higher occupying most of the group. 2. By job, office workers and managerial workers represent 12.3%, part-timers 21.0%, manual workers 11.4%, jobless 0.6%, professionals 35.6%, service 0.6%, housewives 8.4%, and equipment/machinery operation/assemblers 10.1%. Of this, jobless and part-timers, totaling three, are dropped from this research. By years worked, 0-3.9 years represents 9.7%, 4-7.9 years 6.7%, 8-14.9 years 18.4%, above 15 years 28.7%, and no respondents 36.5%. 3. The degree of the subjects practicing life-improvement lifestyle, on a scale of 1 to 4, is an average of 2.69, personal relations 3.04, self-realization 2.92, stress management 2.76, nutritional state 2.73, responsibility for health 2.47, and athletic activities 2.18, with personal relations earning the highest points and athletic activities the lowest. As for factors influencing health-improvement lifestyle, there is no significant difference between gender, age, and marriage status. Meanwhile, there is significant difference between revenue, dwelling pattern, education level, etc. That is, higher income-bracket, owned houses, rented houses, monthly-rented houses, and higher-educated, in this order, show higher average in health-enhancement lifestyle. By job, housewives, manual workers, office workers, professionals, equipment/ machinery operation/ assemblers, and part-timers, in this order show higher points, while there is no difference with significance by years worked. 4. Factors that affect health-improvement lifestyle are shown below. Self-realization is influenced by age, marriage status, type of dwellings, and level of education; responsibility for health by type of dwellings; athletic activities by gender and age; nutrition by age, marriage status and type of dwellings; personal relations by marriage status; and stress management by type of dwellings. 5. Areas with high points by job show this: in self-realization, office workers, manual workers, housewives, professionals, equipment/ machinery operation/ assemblers, in this order, show difference with significance; in the area of responsibility for health, manual workers, housewives, equipment/ machinery operation/ assemblers, professionals, office workers and part-timers, in this order, do. In athletic activities, manual workers, housewives, office workers, professionals, equipment/ machinery operation/ assemblers, and part-timers, in this order, show difference with significance; in nutrition, housewives, office workers, manual workers, professionals, equipment/ machinery operation/ assemblers, and part-timers, in this order do; and in stress, housewives, office workers, manual workers, professionals, equipment/ machinery operation/ assemblers, part-timers, in this order do. By years worked, more years showed higher points in the area of responsibility for health and nutrition; in the area of athletic activities, above 15 years, 4-8 years, below 4 years and 8-14 years, in this order, show higher points; and no difference shows in realization, personal relation, and stress area. 6. To look at correlation between overall and divisional health-improvement practice degree, this researcher has analyzed it using Person's correlation coefficient. Self-realization, responsibility for health, athletic activities, nutrition, support for personal relations, and stress management show significant correlation with the sub-divisions, while all health-improvement lifestyle shows significant correlation with the six sub-divisions.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.246-254
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• 2022

Domestic facility agriculture grows rapidly, such as modernization and large-scale. And the production scale increases significantly compared to the area, accounting for about 60% of the total agricultural production. Greenhouses require energy input to create an appropriate environment for stable mass production throughout the year, but the energy load per unit area is large because of low insulation properties. Through the rooftop greenhouse, one of the types of urban agriculture, energy that is not discarded or utilized in the building can be used in the rooftop greenhouse. And the cooling and heating load of the building can be reduced through optimal greenhouse operation. Dynamic energy analysis for various environmental conditions should be preceded for efficient operation of rooftop greenhouses, and about 40% of the solar energy introduced in the greenhouse is energy exchange for crops, so it should be considered essential. A major analysis is needed for each sensible heat and latent heat load by leaf surface temperature and evapotranspiration, dominant in energy flow. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in a rooftop greenhouse located at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials to analyze the energy exchange according to the growth stage of crops. A micro-meteorological and nutrient solution environment and growth survey were conducted around the crops. Finally, a regression model of leaf temperature and evapotranspiration according to the growth stage of leafy vegetables was developed, and using this, the dynamic energy model of the rooftop greenhouse considering heat transfer between crops and the surrounding air can be analyzed.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2007

Purpose : In spite of medical advances, empyema is a serious complication of pneumonia in children. Vaccination practices and antibiotic prescribing practices promote the change of clinical manifestations of empyema and causative organisms. So we made a nationwide clinical observation of 122 cases of empyema in children from 32 hospitals during the 5 year period from September 1999 to August 2004. Methods : Demographic data, and clinical information on the course and management of empyema patients were collected retrospectively from medical records in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Korea. Results : One hundred twenty two patients were enrolled from 35 hospitals. The most frequent age group was 1-3 years, accounting for 48 percent of all cases. The male to female sex ratio was 1.2:1. The main symptoms were cough, fever, respiratory difficulty, lethargy and chest pain in order of frequency. Hematologic findings on admission revealed decreased hemoglobin levels ($10.4{\pm}1.6g/dL$) and increased leukocyte counts ($16,234.3{\pm}10,601.8/{\mu}L$). Pleural fluid obtained from patients showed high leukocyte counts ($30,365.8{\pm}64,073.0/{\mu}L$), high protein levels ($522.3{\pm}1582.3g/dL$), and low glucose levels ($88.1{\pm}523.5mg/dL$). Findings from pleural fluid cultures were positive in 80 cases(65.6 percent). The most common causative agent was Streptococcus pneumoniae. The majority of patients were treated with antibiotics and closed drainage. Some patients needed open drainage (16.4 percent) or decortication (3.3 percent). The mean duration of hospitalization was $28.6{\pm}15.3days$. Conclusion : We analyzed childhood empyema patients during a period of 5 years in Korean children. The most frequent age group was 1-3 years and the most common causative agent was Streptococcus pneumoniaeiae. The majority of patients were treated with antibiotics and close drainage.