• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1589-1595
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• 2014

Objective: Forkhead box C2 (FOXC2) is a member of the winged helix/forkhead box (Fox) family of transcription factors. It has been suggested to regulate tumor vasculature, growth, invasion and metastasis, although it has not been studied in cervical cancer. Here, we analyzed FOXC2 expression in cervical tissues corresponding to different stages of cervical cancer development and examined its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics. In addition, we examined the effects of targeting FOXC2 on the biological behavior of human cervical cancer cells. Methods: The expression of FOXC2 in normal human cervix, CIN I-III and cervical cancer was examined by immunohistochemistry and compared among the three groups and between cervical cancers with different pathological subtypes. Endogenous expression of FOXC2 was transiently knocked down in human Hela and SiHa cervical cells by siRNA, and cell viability and migration were examined by scratch and CCK8 assays, respectively. Results: In normal cervical tissue the frequency of positive staining was 25% (10/40 cases), with a staining intensity (PI) of $0.297{\pm}0.520$, in CIN was 65% (26/40cases), with a PI of $3.00{\pm}3.29$, and in cancer was 91.8% (68/74 cases), with a PI of $5.568 {\pm}3.449$. The frequency was 100% in adenocarcinoma (5/5 cases) and 91.3% in SCCs (63/69 cases). The FOXC2 positive expression rate was 88.5% in patients with cervical SCC stage I and 100% in stage II, showing significant differences compared with normal cervix and CIN. With age, pathologic differentiation degree and tumor size, FOXC2 expression showed no significant variation. On transient transfection of Hela and SiHa cells, FOXC2-siRNA inhibition rates were 76.2% and 75.7%; CCK8 results showed reduced proliferation and relative migration (in Hela cells from $64.5{\pm}3.16$ to $49.5{\pm}9.24$ and in SiHa cells from $60.1{\pm}3.05$ to $44.3{\pm}3.98$) (P < 0.05). Conclusion: FOXC2 gene expression increases with malignancy, especially with blood vessel hyperplasia and invasion degree. Targeted silencing was associated with reduced cell proliferation as well as invasion potential.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.1197-1209
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• 2007

The advance of digital contents industry shifts the focus of consumptions; from analogue to digital ones. It gives significant impact on individual life as well as overall society and culture, and it leads to the increased consumption of digital contents. Nevertheless, current digital contents industry fails to secure the sufficient consumer protection systems including relevant rules and laws which regulate the distribution, use, and other transaction activities of digital contents and the efforts, on the part of contents providers, to provide information to consumers and to protect them. Digital contents, by its nature, is different from the existing products so that its nature is likely to cause unique consumer problems totally different from the offline transactions and the electrical transactions of existing products. This study, therefore, aims to identify the possible problems which may be incurred by consumers in their use of digital contents, specify the types of consumer damages, and provide the underlying materials to improve the systems related to digital contents and take legally complementary measures for consumer protection. To identify the types of consumer damages, this study analyzed the results from consumer counselling cases, experts opinion survey, and FGI. For consumer damage cases, this study analyzed the consumer complaints received by open consumer counselling sites of the Korea Consumer Agency and Seoul Electronic Commerce Center. For experts opinion survey, it conducted questionnaire survey of the group of experts from digital contents manufacturers or providers, and those who treated consumer damages directly. For FGI analysis, it organized a panel of students and employees who had used digital contents to understand the types of consumer damages. The results of this study can be summed up as follows. Based on the results from consumer counselling cases, experts opinion survey, and FGI analysis, the consumer damages related to digital contents can be classified, in their nature, into economic or financial damages (25 cases), emotional or psychological ones (15 cases), time-related ones (7 cases), physical ones (4 cases), and privacy-related ones (i.e. leakage of personal data)(3 cases). More specifying the types of damages, damages can be subdivided into contract-, charge-, maintenance-, use-, individual-related ones and other ones. Among them, both contract- and charge-related damages appeared only in the economic or financial damages, whereas user-specific individual damages appeared only in physical and emotional or psychological ones. On the other hand, maintenance- and use-related damages and other ones were observed in both categories of economical or financial damages and time-related ones. Use- and privacy-related damages, in particular, caused emotional or psychological damages.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.355-362
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• 1999

Objective: This study was performed to compare the clinical response to controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) according to the size of baseline ovarian cyst. Method: From February 1992 to March 1999, a retrospective analysis was done of 272 cases who underwent COH using mid-luteal phase long protocol of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) for IVF-ET. These cases were divided into four group; group 1 (n=63) had cysts with mean diameters between 20.0 and 29.0 mm on their baseline ultrasound on cycle day 3, group 2 (n=57, $30.0{\sim}49.0mm$), group 3 (n=68, >50.0 mm) and control group (n=84). Cases were excluded according to the following criteria; pure male factor infertility, the presence of only one ovary, high CA-125 level and previous endometriosis. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between cases with baseline ovarian cyst <50.0 mm in diameter and control group in any of the parameters. However, cases with baseline ovarian cyst>50.0 mm in mean diameter needed more amount of human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), showed significantly lower estradiol ($E_2$) level, the number of follicle >15.0 mm on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of mature oocytes, and pregnancy rate compared with control group. Conclusion: This study suggests that cases with baseline ovarian cyst <50.0 mm in diameter do not adversely impact on IVF-ET outcome. However, cases with baseline ovarian cyst >50.0 mm in diameter had adverse effects on various parameters. Therefore, to improve the outcome of IVF-ET in these cases, ovarian cyst aspiration prior to initiating COH may be required.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.560-571
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• 2019

In line with the United Nations' Action Plan for the First and Second World Programme for Human Rights, countries around the world are making efforts to strengthen and develop human rights education through voluntary participation and improvement of the legal system. South Korea is also trying to spread human rights education under the leadership of the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea, but there has been no significant progress so far. Moreover, it has failed to pay close attention to the human rights issues of seafarers on board. This study identified the phenomenological problems based on an analysis of domestic and international literature, and of cases of violation of seafarers' human rights. It utilized the interactivity research method to create an educational environment for improving the human rights situation of seafarers on board mixed-nationality crew vessels. In doing so, the research suggests the introduction of human rights education for seafarers and the implementation of a human rights education program in designated educational institutions as fundamental solutions to the human rights issues of seafarers, as these have been pointed out as the main cause of conflicts in mixed-nationality crew vessels.

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.337-349
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• 2003

This study was dealt with consumers' attitudes and requests for refunds on the basis of data gathered in 1997 and 2000 and examined factors shaping the differences of the consumers' requesting for refunds and investigated variables influencing the presence or absence of requests for refunds. Research outcomes could be summarized as follows. First there were no differences in consumers' searches for information of refunds, degrees of satisfactions for practices of refunds, knowledges for refunds, consumers' expectation for the permission of refunds between two periods Consumers generally showed more active behaviors for the request for refunds in 2000 than in 1997. In cases of defects, the chance of getting refunds was higher while consumers feel greater needs for refund. Second, consumers perception for the necessity of refund and their expectations for successful outcomes were higher in cases of defects than in the opposite case; consumers were also more active to request for refunds and get more positive responses in the former case. Third, in cases of defects in 1997, as consumers faced the unsatisfactory response for their previous requests for refunds, they did not actively request for refunds. In 2000, requesting for refunds were more active as they were more knowledgeable, actively search for information of refunds before their purchases, and expect more positive outcomes for their requests for refund. On the other hand, in cases of no defects in 1997, consumers showed more active behaviors requesting for refunds as their own professional jobs, owned greater consumer expectation for positive outcomes and showed greater satisfactions for the previous requests of refunds. In the survey of 2000, consumers showed active behaviors requesting for refunds as they were highly educated, gather much information for refund, and showed positive expectations for the possibility of refund.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.305-308
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• 2012

Objective: To assess the health and economic burden of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related diseases (cervical cancer, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1/2/3, and genital warts) in Singapore over a period of 25 years beginning in 2008. Methods: Incidence-based modeling was used to estimate the incidence cases and associated economic burden, with the assumption that age-stratified incidence rates will remain the same throughout the period of 25 years. The incidence rates in 2008 were projected based on data obtained from the National Cancer Registry for cervical cancer, and from a combination of published data and hospital registry review for CIN1/2/3 and genital warts. The population growth rate was factored into the projection of incidence cases over time. Direct cost data per cervical cancer and per CIN1/2/3 case were obtained from the financial database of large local hospitals while cost data for genital warts were obtained from the National Skin Center; these costs were multiplied by the number of incidence cases to produce an aggregate estimate of the economic burden over the 25-year period (in 2008 Singapore dollars) using a 3% discount rate. Results: The total number of incidence cases of HPV-disease over 25 years beginning in 2008 was estimated to be 60,183, including 8,078 for cervical cancer, 11,685 for CIN 2/3, 8,849 for CIN1, and 31,572 for genital warts. The estimated total direct cost was 83.2 million Singapore Dollars over 25 years: 57.6 million attributable to cervical cancer, 13.0 million to CIN2/3, 6.83 million to CIN1, and 5.70 million to genital warts. Conclusion: HPV-related diseases are expected to impose significant health and economic burden on the Singapore healthcare resources in the next 25 years.

• The Korean Journal of Cytopathology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.81-85
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• 2004

Postmenopausal squamous atypia (PSA) is a phenomenon characterized by cellular alterations mimicking condyloma in the uterine cervix of postmenopausal women. It is not associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The aim of this study is to correlate findings with HPV infection and the cytohistologic findings of PSA. Eighty-three smears from postmenopausal women, initially interpreted as ASCUS and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions(LSIL), were reviewed according to the criteria of PSA. Fifty-eight cases were subsequently reclassified as PSA. Forty cases categorized as PSA were available for HPV-DNA detection by a nested polymerase chain reaction. Eight of these 40 cases(20%) showed biopsy-proven LSIL lesions. The HPV-DNA was detected in 42.5%(17/40), compared to 25%(5/20) of control cases. The HPV-DNA detection rate of biopsy-proven LSIL was 62.5%(5/8). It has been concluded that cytologic differential diagnosis of PSA from LSIL is difficult due to because of poor histologic and viral correlation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.1705-1712
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• 2016

Background: The aim of this study was to determine and evaluate the association of different viral infections, with hepatitis B and C viruses, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and human herpes virus-8 (HBV, HCV, EBV, CMV, HHV-8) with the risk of lymphomas (Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin) among Egyptian patients, and correlate with the histopathological staging and typing as well as the prevalence of combined infections. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 newly diagnosed lymphoma patients with 100 healthy age and sex matched normal controls were assayed for viral infection using enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) followed by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Our results showed a high statistical significant difference between cases and controls as regards clinical and laboratory findings (P<0.001 and=0.003). A high statistical difference was seen for the association of most viruses and lymphoma cases (p<0.001) except for positive HBs Ag, positive CMV IgG and HHV-8 (p=0.37, 0.70 and 1.0 respectively). No statistical significant difference was found between Hodgkin (HL) and non-Hodgkin (NHL) as regards viral prevalence except HCV antigen, 57.1% for HL and 26.5% for NHL (p = 0.03). Only, HBV DNA showed a high significant value among infiltrated bone marrow cases (p=0.003) and finally, a high significant association of 2 combined viral infections with infiltrated bone marrow lymphoma cases (p=0.04). Conclusions: Our results showed that infection with HBV, HCV, CMV and EBV were associated with increased risk of lymphoma among the Egyptian population. Detection of new associations between infectious agents and risk of cancer development will facilitate progress in elaboration of prophylactic measures, early diagnostic methods and, hopefully, novel therapy of malignant tumours.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.213-216
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• 1989

Seven cases of Diphyllcbothrium latum infection were proved by collection of worms after prasiquantel treatment between October, 1986 and July, 1987. The patients were all males aged 20~44 years residing in Seoul or Ulungdo, Kyungpook Province. All of them had the history of eating several kinds of raw marine fishes, and they had never been to abroad. One of them exporienced abdominal pain and 6 experienced natural discharge of a chain of worm segments, but none revealed any sign of anemia, Total 12 worms (1~3/patient) were collected after praiiquantel treatment. The worms were 85~423 cm in length, and revealed the characteristic rosette-shape uterus in their gravid proglottides. The average egg size varied $61.0~65.3{\times}41.7~46.1{\;}{\mu\textrm{m}}$. The eggs were yellowish. brown, and ovoid to elliptical. Including the present 7 cases, the total number of human D. latum infections proven by worms in Korea becomes 28 cases.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.2
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• pp.149-152
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• 2021

Our previous research on coprolite specimens from the mummies of Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910 CE) has revealed various species of parasite eggs. Herein, we added 2 new helminthic cases of human remains from Joseon-period graves in the Republic of Korea (Korea). The organic materials precipitated on the hip bones of 2 half-mummied cases (Goryeong and Gwangmyeong cases) were collected, rehydrated, and examined by a microscope. In the sample from Goryeong-gun (gun=County), ova of Trichuris trichiura, Clonorchis sinensis, and Metagonimus spp. were detected, and eggs of T. trichiura and A. lumbricoides were found from the sample of Gwangmyeong-si (si=City). By adding this outcome to the existing data pool, we confirm our previous estimates of Joseon-period parasite infection rates. The overall rates of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and C. sinensis decreased dramatically from Joseon to the modern period. In Goryeong mummy specimen, we also found Metagonimus spp. eggs that has rarely been detected in archaeological samples so far.