• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.526-537
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• 2023

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem worldwide and its eradication is mandatory. Direct acting HCV polymerase inhibitors, such as Sofosbuvir (SOF), is an effective regimen. However, it has some side effects like mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and the impairment of testicular function. It is important to evaluate the safety of SOF on the ovary, as there are no studies yet. Increasing the production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), causes oxidative stress, which affects ovulation process, female reproduction, and fertility. Accumulation of SOF in the cells was demonstrated to promote ROS generation. Vitamin E (Vit E) is an antioxidant agent that has an essential role in the female reproductive system, its deficiency can cause infertility. We explored the effect of SOF treatment alone and co-treated with Vit E on ovarian ROS level and ovarian morphology experimentally using biochemical and immunohistochemical studies. Significant changes in oxidative stress markers; nitric oxide and malondialdehyde lipid peroxidation, antioxidant enzymes; catalase, super oxide dismutase, and reduced glutathione, proliferating markers; proliferation cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67 antigen and caspase 3 apoptotic marker were demonstrated. It was shown that where SOF induced oxidative stress, it also aggravated ovarian dysfunction. The essential role of Vit E as an antioxidant agent in protecting the ovarian tissue from the effect of oxidative stress markers and preserving its function was also displayed. This could be guidance to add Vit E supplements to SOF regimens to limit its injurious effect on ovarian function.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2017

Previous studies have reported on the overlapping of $F_1$ and $F_2$ distribution for the vowels /o/ and /u/ produced by young Korean speakers of the Seoul dialect. It has been suggested that the overlapping of /o/ and /u/ occurs due to sound change. However, few studies have examined whether speech rate influences the overlapping of /o/ and /u/. On the other hand, previous studies have reported that the overlapping of /o/ and /u/ in syllable produced by male speakers is smaller than by female speakers. Few reports have investigated on the overlapping of the two vowels in read speech produced by male speakers. In the current study, we examined whether speech rates affect overlapping of /o/ and /u/ in read speech by male and female speakers. Read speech produced by twelve young adult native speakers of Seoul dialect were recorded in three speech rates. For female speakers, discriminant analysis showed that the discriminant rate became lower as the speech rate increases from slow to fast. Thus, this indicates that speech rate is one of the factors affecting the overlapping of /o/ and /u/. For male speakers, on the other hand, the discriminant rate was not correlated with speech rate, but the overlapping was larger than that of female speakers in read speech. Moreover, read speech by male speakers was less clear than by female speakers. This indicates that the overlapping may be related to unclear speech by sociolinguistic reasons for male speakers.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6231-6235
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• 2015

Background: In Malaysia, breast cancer is the first cancer among females regardness of race. Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge and BSE practice among undergraduate female students at four public universities in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 820 undergraduate female students using a self-administered questionnaire covering socio-demographic data, knowledge of breast cancer and BSE practice. Results: The mean age of the respondents was $21.7{\pm}1.2$ years. The majority of them were single (96.8%), Malay (91.9%) and 16.5% of respondents had a family history of breast cancer. This study showed low level of knowledge on breast cancer and breast self-examination among participants. Only 19.6% participants were performing BSE regularly. Knowledge of breast self-examination was significantly associated with BSE practice (p=0.00). Also, there were significant associations between performing BSE with age, marital status and being trained by a doctor for doing BSE (p<0.05). Conclusions: Our findings showed that the rate of BSE practice and knowledge of breast cancer is inadequate among young Malaysian females. A public health education program is essential to improve breast cancer prevention among this group.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.888-893
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• 2000

The present study was conducted to evaluate heterosis effects of body weight and jumping height for successive generations of rotational crossing using two subspecies of mice which are very different in body weight and in genetic relationship from each other. Domesticated laboratory mouse $CF_{{\sharp}1}$ (C) and Yonakuni wild mouse (Y) were used as materials. Two groups of rotational crossing was made according to the parent used at the beginning of crosses, C male$\times$Y female and Y male$\times$C female. These crosses were done to produce the first ($G_1$ and $G_1{^{\prime}}$), second ($G_2$ and $G_2{^{\prime}}$) and third generations ($G_3$ and $G_3{^{\prime}}$) with sire used was alternated. Individual body weights were weighed at 1 (wk1), 3 (wk3), 6 (wk6) and 10 weeks of age (wk10) and jumping heights were measured at six weeks of age (wk6). Only the first litter used. For body weight, results of this study showed that genetic group effects were significant (p<0.01) source of variation at all ages studied. Sex effects were significant (p<0.01) at wk3, wk6 and wk10, but not at wk1. Significant interaction effects (p<0.01) between genetic group and sex were found at wk6 and wk10. The C mice with large maternal effects produced heavier offspring body weight and crosses using sire of this subspecies maintained heavy weight compared to wild Y mouse sire that has small body size. Heterosis tended to exist at the rotational crossing started from Y male C female. For jumping height, effects of genetic group and sex were significant, sire and dam effects (heterosis) exhibited from the first to third generations, and no maternal effects were observed.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.249-256
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• 2010

Gender differences in the trace elements of monkey sino-atrial (SA) node were investigated in a process of age-dependent alterations. Sixty hearts from Japanese and rhesus monkeys (30 male and 30 female) used were aged ranging from 1-day- to 30-year-old. The elements were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). Advancing age decreased all the trace elements. Ca, P, S and Mg significantly decreased. The correlation coefficients of Ca and P were $-0.178{\pm}0.081$ (p<0.05) and $-0.088{\pm}0.022$ (p<0.05) in male (n=30), and $-0.095{\pm}0.026$ (p<0.05) and $-0.069{\pm}0.017$ (p<0.05) in female (n=30), respectively. The age-dependent coefficients for Fe/Ca, Zn/Ca, Fe/P, Fe/S, Zn/S, Fe/Mg and Zn/Mg were exhibited markedly in male, but all was less in female. In gender-related differences, only a ratio of P/Ca (p<0.05) was significantly observed with ageing. The trace elements such as Cu, Se and Sn were less detected in the SA nodes. These results indicate that the age-dependent changes in the ratios of elements are appeared more rapidly in male monkey SA node, and the gender difference is observed in ratio of P/Ca. The different attenuations may be involved with the age- and gender-related SA nodal functions.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 2024

Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of mental health (MH) symptoms and associated factors among medical students who were engaged in combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in 4 provinces/cities of Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 580 participants was conducted at a medical university in Northern Vietnam. MH was assessed using the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, which was previously standardized in Vietnam. Data were collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to examine the association between MH symptoms and relevant factors. Results: Out of a total of 2703 medical students, 21.5% responded to the questionnaire. Among the 580 respondents, the prevalence rates of depression, anxiety, and stress were 43.3%, 44.0%, and 24.7%, respectively. Factors significantly associated with self-reported depression included being female and having a COVID-19 infection. Similarly, being female and having a COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with self-reported anxiety. Factors associated with self-reported stress included being female, having a personal or family history of MH symptoms, working more than 8 hr/day, and having a COVID-19 infection. Conclusions: COVID-19 has adversely impacted the MH of medical students. Our findings are valuable in their potential to motivate universities, MH professionals, and authorities to offer mental healthcare services to this group. Furthermore, there is a pressing need for training courses designed to equip future healthcare workers with the skills to manage crises effectively.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.361-363
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• 2010

Psenulus carinifrons iwatai (Gussakovskij) is reported for the first time in Korea. This species is defined by its long petiole of sternum I and extensive coloration on legs in both sexes, and simply linear frontal carina in female. Diagnostic description and digital images are presented.

• Journal of Wellbeing Management and Applied Psychology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

This study empirically examined the effect of female director on tax aggressiveness of listed insurance firms in Nigeria. The main objective of this research was to empirically investigate the effect of female board members on tax aggressiveness, determine the composition and representation of female directors on the board of insurance companies, find out how tax aggressive are listed insurance firms and apply the BLAU (1977) index method to measure female director representation as a departure from conventional approaches specifically in the Nigerian context in the reference period, 2014 to 2018. The population of the study consists of all the quoted insurance firms as at 31st December, 2016. A sample of twenty eight (28) quoted insurance firms was selected and data were collected over the period. Inferential statistic consisting of the General Method of Moment was used for the data analysis. The results obtained reveal that board size is negative and exerts significant impact on tax aggressiveness in insurance firms in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that the Federal government has to come up with a policy to respond to the marginalization of female on the insurance firm corporate board in Nigeria. The aim of this policy thrust should be targeted at reducing politics and biasness against women on the corporate boards of listed insurance firms.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.58-60
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• 2015

A 15-year-old female patient with progressive pulsatile exophthalmos caused by intraorbital encephalocele was evaluated with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in our clinic. She had no history of trauma or reconstructive surgery. When she was a little girl, she had undergone surgery for congenital glaucoma on the right eye. On the three-dimensional image of CT, a hypoplasic bone defect was observed in the greater wing of the right sphenoid bone. MRI and CT scan showed herniation through this defect of the arachnoid membrane and protruded cerebral tissue into the right orbita. Intraorbital encephalocele is an important entity that can cause pulsatile exophthalmos and blindness.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.367-370
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• 2017

Dural injury during spinal surgery can subsequently give rise to a remote cerebellar hemorrhage (RCH). Although the incidence of such injury is low, the resulting hemorrhage can be life threatening. The mechanism underlying the formation of the hemorrhage is not known, but it is mostly thought to develop after venous infarction. Cerebellar mutism (CM) is a frequent complication of posterior fossa operations in children, but it is rarely seen in adults. The development of CM after an RCH has not been described. We describe the case of a 65-year old female who lost cerebrospinal fluid after inadvertent opening of the dura during surgery. Computerized tomography performed when the patient became unable to speak revealed a bilateral cerebellar hemorrhage.