• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.24
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• pp.10927-10932
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• 2015

Background: Older age is associated with an increase in the incidence of cancer cases. Diagnosis and treatment of cancer in older adults can be stressful because of health decline related to age, comorbidities and inadequate treatment for pain and other symptoms of the disease. This survey is one of the unique studies in Jordan and in the Arab world that aimed at exploring the predictors of older adult individuals awareness towards cancer. Materials and Methods: A stratified random sampling technique was followed to reach a representative sample of 753 participants. The questionnaire of the study consisted of parts regarding demographic variables, awareness about screening tests, and signs and symptoms of cancer. In addition, specific questions related to factors linked to cancer were included. Cross-sectional design was adopted with face-to-face interviews at the interviewees' households. Results: The mean age of the participants was about 63 years; around 44% of them are above the age of 65 years. 'Being convinced that having no health problem makes the individual feel safe and not at risk of getting cancer' was the major reason for not doing a routine health check-up. Conclusions: The low levels of awareness about cancer, as well as the low use of the screening methods were crucial outcomes of this study. Thus, raising the awareness among health care providers and policy makers in the country about older adults' perception of cancer is a high priority.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5593-5596
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• 2014

Background: The objective of this study was to determine a diagnostic classification scheme using a decision tree based model. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a retrospective case-control study in Imam Khomeini hospital in Tehran during 2001 to 2009. Data, including demographic and clinical-pathological characteristics, were uniformly collected from 624 females, 312 of them were referred with positive diagnosis of breast cancer (cases) and 312 healthy women (controls). The decision tree was implemented to develop a diagnostic classification scheme using CART 6.0 Software. The AUC (area under curve), was measured as the overall performance of diagnostic classification of the decision tree. Results: Five variables as main risk factors of breast cancer and six subgroups as high risk were identified. The results indicated that increasing age, low age at menarche, single and divorced statues, irregular menarche pattern and family history of breast cancer are the important diagnostic factors in Iranian breast cancer patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the analysis were 66% and 86.9% respectively. The high AUC (0.82) also showed an excellent classification and diagnostic performance of the model. Conclusions: Decision tree based model appears to be suitable for identifying risk factors and high or low risk subgroups. It can also assists clinicians in making a decision, since it can identify underlying prognostic relationships and understanding the model is very explicit.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5043-5047
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• 2013

Background: This is a part of a larger effort to characterize the effects on socio-economic factors (SEFs) on cancer outcome. Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) bone and joint sarcoma (BJS) data were used to identify potential disparities in cause specific survival (CSS). Materials and Methods: This study analyzed SEFs in conjunction with biologic and treatment factors. Absolute BJS specific risks were calculated and the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were computed for predictors. Actuarial survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier method. Kolmogorov-Smirnov's 2-sample test was used to for comparing two survival curves. Cox proportional hazard model was used for multivariate analysis. Results: There were 13501 patients diagnosed BJS from 1973 to 2009. The mean follow up time (SD) was 75.6 (90.1) months. Staging was the highest predictive factor of outcome (ROC area of 0.68). SEER stage, histology, primary site and sex were highly significant pre-treatment predictors of CSS. Under multivariate analysis, patients living in low income neighborhoods and rural areas had a 2% and 5% disadvantage in cause specific survival respectively. Conclusions: This study has found 2-5% decrement of CSS of BJS due to SEFs. These data may be used to generate testable hypothesis for future clinical trials to eliminate BJS outcome disparities.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.38 no.spc
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• pp.8-11
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• 2005

Carbon stable isotope ratios of producers varied in lake ecosystems. In tile present study, we tried to estimate the seasonal variations of carbon isotope ratios of phytoplankton and benthic diatoms in a strongly acidic lake ecosystem. Lake Katanuma is a volcanic, strongly acidic lake (average pH of 2.2), located in Miyagi, Japan. Only two algal species dominate in Lake Katanuma; Pinnularia acidojaponica as a benthic diatom, and Chlamydomonas acidophila as a green alga. Carbon isotope values of P. acidojaponica varied seasonally, while those of particulate organic matter, which were mainly composed of C. acidophila remained fairly stable. The differences suggested that $CO_2$ gas was more frequently limited for P. acidojaponica than C. acidophila, since high density patches of benthic diatoms were sometimes observed on the lake sediment. Generally, carbon concentration mechanisms (CCMs)of microalgae can fix bicarbonate in lakes, and affect the carbon isotope values of microalgae. While, in Lake Katanuma, CCMs of the microalgae may scarcely function because of high $CO_2$ gas concentration and low pH. This is the reason for low seasonal amplitude of carbon isotope values of phytoplankton relative to those in other lakes.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.607-615
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• 2015

Our final goal was to manufacture low-calorie healthy seafood spreads using high pressure processing. Prior to developing the spread products, we performed a nationwide survey of consumers aged in their teens and twenties (n=585). The questionnaire was designed to gain insights from consumers on spread products, including Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA), recipes, market prospects, etc. Consumers responded that 'price, calorie, fat content, sanitary, nutrition, and food additive' should be improved, in that order. They also thought that fruits and vegetables are highly acceptable in recipes of seafood spreads. In addition, consumers pointed that we should concentrate on 'taste, sanitary, flavor, nutrition, and price' to make spreads more successful. Regarding market prospects, consumers rated spreads with scores over 2.96/5.00, which means the market for seafood spreads is sufficient. The consumers' response provided guidelines for developing and manufacturing low-calorie healthy seafood spreads.

• Korean Management Science Review
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.91-102
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• 2013

This study has an aim to analyze the effects of ADS on conjunctivitis patients among the residents of Seoul, Korea, between 2005 and 2008. For this purpose, the number of medical services provided to conjunctivitis patients on the days of windblown dust storms and the days without any windblown dust storms were analyzed by conducting paired t-test. The interactive effects of the ADS density and the accuracy of ADS forecast on the fluctuation of conjunctivitis cases were also investigated. The results showed that, even with an accurate forecast issued 24 hours prior to the event, the average number of medical services provided for conjunctivitis was higher on the index days than the comparison days. On the other hand, in cases of failure to provide an accurate forecast 24 hours prior to the ADS event, the number of conjunctivitis attacks reported was statistically significantly higher on the index days for 3~5 days after the occurrence of a dust storm in relation to the comparison days. We also found that the rate of increase in asthma treatments on the index days with low level of $PM_{10}$ concentration rather than high $PM_{10}$ level was more significant for all lag days. This study provides evidence that ADS events are significantly associated with conjunctivitis symptoms and the failure to forecast ADS events with low $PM_{10}$ level might aggravate conjunctivitis disease.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-56
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• 2012

Genetic variation in the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus was determined from partial mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences of the cytochrome b (Cytb) gene. Samples included 143 crabs from six localities along three coastlines in South Korea. A nucleotide sequence analysis revealed 38 variable sites in a 470-bp sequence, which defined 37 haplotypes. The haplotypes were not associated geographically and had a shallow genealogy. Pairwise $F_{ST}$ tests and a two-dimensional scaling analysis revealed no significant genetic differentiation among most of the populations. The low pairwise comparison values, but significant genetic differentiation of a northeastern population from all other populations, might have been influenced by a restriction in gene flow caused by hydrographic conditions such as ocean boundaries. The high haplotype diversity, low nucleotide diversity, and time since H. sanguineus expansion in Korean coastal waters indicate rapid population growth and a recent, sudden expansion in the Late Pleistocene.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.407-417
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the application possibility of leaf and stem extract(LSE) extracted from the mixture of leaf and stem of ginseng radix(Panax ginseng CA. Meyer). This study measured the intake levels and efficiency ratio, growth rate, absorption ratio of carbohydrate, lipid and protein of rat by feeding with LSE during 6 weeks. We analyse the hematological and serum metabolic variables, serum lipid concentrations. Total diet and protein intake levels were low, but efficiency ratios were significantly high in LSE administered groups than the control group. Weight gain, liver and kidney weight of LSE groups were significantly higher than the control group. Blood RBC, Hct, Hb, total protein and albumin concentrations were reasonable levels in LSE administered groups compared to the basal diet group. Also serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride contents of LSE groups were low, but HDL-cholesterol level was higher than the basal diet group. These results imply that leaf and stem of ginseng radix could be used as possible food resources, functional food material and feed stuff.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.507-513
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• 2000

This study was conducted to investigate the shelf life of beef stored in antimicrobial pottery during 12days storage at 4'C and Five kinds of antimicrobial potteries were prepared with antimicrobial materials such as TiO$_2$, Ag (NO$_3$)$_2$, Cu(NO$_3$)$_2$ and Zn(NO$_3$)$_2$. In changes of color during storage, Hunter's L- and b-value of beef were not changed, but Hunter's a-value was low significantly. The pH of beef meats were low at 6 days, but were added from 6 days. TBA value of beef in "A" pottery containing TiO$_2$ 1% and "C" Pottery containing TiO$_2$ 0.5%, Cu(NO$_3$)$_2$ were lower than "B", "D" and "I" pottery. VBN contents of beef in "A", "B", "C", "D" and "I" Pottery stored during 12 days were 9.8, 12.5, 9.3, 11.9 and 13.7mg%, respectively. In changes of total plate count of beef during storage at 4$^{\circ}C$, the antimicrobial activity of "A" and "C" pottery were superior.g storage at 4$^{\circ}C$, the antimicrobial activity of "A" and "C" pottery were superior.ttery were superior.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.845-852
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• 2010

This study examined the recognition and purchasing behavior about environment-friendly agricultural produce (EFAP) of housewives in Yeungnam area. The data were collected from 401 housewives by a self-administered questionnaire on April, 2010. Frequencies, t test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were conducted by SPSS Windows V.17.0. The results of the survey were as follows: (1) the purchase group of EFAP showed higher degree of concern about health and recognition about EFAP than the non-purchase group, (2) knowledge scores about EFAP were very low for both the purchase and non-purchase groups, (3) levels of confidence in EFAP in the purchase group were higher than those in the non-purchase group, (4) the purchase group considered high price as the main distribution problem about EFAP, whereas the non-purchase group regarded low trust toward producers, and (5) monthly household income (below 2,000,000 won) and confidence in EFAP were the significant factors affecting EFAP.