• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5529-5533
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• 2012

Aim: To investigate the utility of prostate-specific antigen velocity (PSAV) and PSAV per initial volume (PSAVD) for early detection of prostate cancer (PCa) in Chinese men. Methods: Between January 2009 and June 2012, a total of 193 men (aged 49-84 years, median 67 years) with at least 2 transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) procedures and concurrent serum PSA measurements underwent prostate biopsy because of suspicion of PCa. The total group were classified into PCa and non-PCa groups, and the variables of the two groups were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to investigate which variables were predictove. The diagnostic values of PSAV, PSAVD and prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) were compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 44 (22.8%) of the 193 men. There were significant differences between the groups in last and initial prostate volumes determined by TRUS, initial age, last serum PSA levels, PSAV, PSAD and PSAVD. After adjusting for confounding factors, the odds ratios of PCa across the quartile of PSAVD were 1, 4.06, 10.6, and 18.9 (P for trend <0.001).The area under the ROC curves (AUCs) of PSAD (0.779) and PSAVD (0.776) were similar and both significantly greater than that of PSA (AUC 0.667). PSAVD was a significantly better indicator of PCa than PSAV (AUC 0.736). There was no statistical significant difference between the AUC of PSAV and that of last serum PSA level. The sensitivity and specificity of PSAVD at a cutoff of 0.023ng in participants with last serum PSA levels of 4.0ng/mL-10.0ng was 73.7% and 70.7%, respectively. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated PSAVD may be a useful tool in PCa detection, especially in those undergoing previous TRUS examination.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.326-344
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• 2011

Although anthropogenic disturbance of 20 years duration affects benthic habitats, few studies have examined its effects on the macrobenthic communities of a bay. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of environmental variables on the macrobenthic communities after the construction of the Hwaong dike. Macrobenthos were collected at 22 sites using a Smith McIntyre grab (0.1 $m^2$) in August 2007 and February 2008. Total organic content was very low around the Hwaong dike. Sediment grain size increased from the Hwaong dike to the outer bay. In total, 317 species of macrobenthic fauna were collected and the mean density was 1,155 ind. $m^{-2}$, both of which were higher than the results of previous studies. The dominant species, $Hetermastus$ $filiformis$, known to be a potential pollution indicator, was more abundant near the Hwaong dike. Conversely, species sensitive to organic pollution, such as the polychaete $Ampharete$ $arctica$ and the ophiuroid $Amphioplus$ $squamata$, exhibited higher mean densities in areas distant from the dike. A cluster analysis indicated that the macrobenthic community was divided into two distinct groups: group I near the dike and group II in the outer bay, which were affected by sediment grain size and total organic content. This study suggests that variations in sediment grain size and organic content after dike construction are important factors controlling the macrobenthic community in Asan Bay.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.411-426
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• 2011

The construction of composite indicators should be normalized and weighted to render them comparable and evaluable variables in the field, which undergoes absence of a distinct methodology and where the application of universally popular method is common. Constructing of indices does not compare and analyze applying various normalizing and weighting, but constructer generally use chosen method and develops indicators and indices in most research. In this study, indices are applied various normalization and weighting methods, thereby analyzing how much impact the index and identifying individual characteristics derive a more reasonable way to help other research in the future. 5 different methods of normalization and 4 different types of weights were compared and analyzed. There are different results depending applied normalized methods and Z-score method best reflects the characteristics of the variables. According to weighting methods, the calculated results show little difference, but the ranking results of indices did not changed significantly. It might be better to provide constructors with a set of normalization and weighting methods to reflect their characteristics in order to build flood indices through the result of this study.

• Journal of Korean Ophthalmic Optics Society
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.293-297
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• 2010

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to compare body mass index (BMI) with waist circumference (WC) as a predictor of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods: The subjects were consisted of 458 adults, aged 20 year or above, of one community in Kyunggi-do. Mean IOPs were stratified jointly for BMI and WC tertiles. Multi-variate linear regression analysis was also used to compare between BMI and WC. Results: Although any BMI tertiles were not associated with IOP within each tertile of WC, WC tertiles was significantly related to elevation of IOP within the third BMI tertile (${\geq}24.9kg/m^2$). After adjusting for age and sex, only WC showed significant association with IOP. In additional adjustment for lifestyle variables, both BMI and WC were significantly associated with elevation of IOP. However, the results showed the stronger association of IOP with WC than BMI, whether they were adjusted by age and sex or additionally lifestyle variables. Conclusions: These data showed that BMI and WC were positively associated with IOP. However, WC appeared to be a better indicator for higher IOP than BMI.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.973-988
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• 2014

This study investigated one of the contemporary issues in the Korean capital market and two hypotheses of concern were tested on the financial determinants of profitability for the firms belonging to the Korean chaebols during the era of the post-global financial turmoil. The first hypothesis applying conditional quantile regression (CQR) estimation provided the evidence that leverage ratio, fixed asset utilization, and foreign ownership among the nine quantitative explanatory variables, had overall statistical significance relative to the book-valued profitability measure, while additional variables such as a firm's size, fixed and a proxy for the type of exchange market showed their strong impacts on the market-valued profitability indicator. Concerning the formulated 'extended' DuPont system, only two components of EBITDAEBIT and EMULTIPLIER revealed their prominent influence on ROE (Return on Equity) over the two tested periods (the years 2008 and 2012).

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.53-59
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• 2009

Infection control is now recognized as an important quality indicator in dental health service setting. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate Dental Hygienist's Infection Control Practice Scale for quality management of dental health service in Korea. The data of 254 dental hygienists was subjected to exploratory factor analysis using SPSS 16.0 and confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS 16.0. The total items of preliminary scale were 21 items and 5 subscale. Principal component analysis was completed with Varimax rotation. The results show a change in factor structure from 5 factor solution to 4 factor solution. The confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the four subscales(Immunization and periodic tests, Clinical procedure, Handwashing, Personal protection) which have a total of 12 items. After the item deleted because factor loading was low, measured model was tested. The results of the measurement model indicated fit indices: $x^2$= 79.593(df = 38, 0 = 0.000), RMR = 0.045, GFI = 0.940, CFI = 0.904, AGFI = 0.896, NFI = 0.837, TLI = 0.861, RMSEA = 0.67. The squared correlation between four constructs were less than the average variance extracted(AVE) of four constructs. Multiple regression analysis was completed. Dependent variable was the perceived infection control practice by dental hygienist. Independent variables were four summated subscales(R = 0.552, $R^2$= 0.304, Adjusted $R^2$= 0.431, F = 25.813, p = 0.000). Unstandardized coefficients of three independent variables were statistically significant.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.67-75
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate the changes in citizen satisfaction with parks and green spaces in Daegu. Three surveys were conducted using the same measurement tools in 1986, 2001, and 2010. Major results are as follows: 1. The overall satisfaction level with parks and green spaces increased remarkably over the last25years. Satisfaction levels with city spaces overall were higher than that of nearby surrounding areas. 2. Diversity of green spaces was the most distinguished indicator in increasing level of satisfaction while the management level of green space facilities showed the lowest improvement. 3. The factor analysis for individual variables for satisfaction resulted in two factors: functions and physical conditions were categorized as one factor, and indicators for the planning of green spaces were the other. Using a regression model, the major variables found for satisfaction were diversity, management level of woods, quantitative level, function of static recreation, and management level of facilities, respectively. 4. Regarding satisfaction level by the type of green spaces, green spaces by streets showed a remarkable increase while green spaces in industrial areas showed the lowest improvement. A factor analysis for each type of green space resulted in 3 factors: green spaces of urban parks, green spaces of urban recreational facilities, and green spaces of each district including residential areas and industrial areas.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.17 no.4 s.38
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• pp.41-53
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• 2005

This study evaluated middle school teachers' perceptions and demands for changing in Food and Nutrition sections of Home Economics and also identified variables related. Teachers expressed unfavorable attitudes to the usefulness of contents in real life, and clearly perceived the importance of a basic theory of nutrition in general and adolescency among 12 items related with Food and Nutrition section. Most of the teachers pointed the way in which textbooks are described and organized were heavily oriented into lectures, more than creative discussion and diverse activities. The insufficient materials for teaching-learning were also pointed as barriers in improving the level of quality of Food and Nutrition sections in middle school Home Economics textbooks. Teachers had strong beliefs that textbooks, based on 7th National Curriculum, should be changed and improved not only in contents but also in organizations. Cognition of teachers on the appropriateness, in terms of quantity of contents, competitiveness for developing students' capacity. level of quality, and interests among students and teachers, was consistent and independent indicator of their needs for changing. These results suggest that the next textbook should include more materials for teaching-learning designed to expand students' capacities and develop critical thinking skills. Effective educational curriculum should integrate sufficient activities together with detailed instructions. Creative activities may allow students to learn and connect these activities to the contents in Food and Nutrition section of Home Economics curriculum.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2109-2114
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• 2012

Background: Ethnic variation in tumor characteristics and clinical presentation of breast cancer is increasingly being emphasized. We studied the tumor characteristics and factors which may influence the presentation and prognosis of triple negative breast cancers (TNC) in a cohort of Chinese women. Methods: A prospective cohort of 1800 Chinese women with breast cancer was recruited in a tertiary referral unit in Hong Kong between 1995 and 2006 and was followed up with a median duration of 7.2 years. Of the total, 216 (12.0%) had TNC and 1584 (88.0%) had non-TNC. Their clinicopathological variables, epidemiological variables and clinical outcomes were evaluated. Results: Patients with TNC had similar age of presentation as those with non-TNC, while presenting at earlier stages (82.4% were stage 1-2, compared to 78.4% in non-TNC, p=0.035). They were likely to be associated with grade 3 cancer (Hazard Ratio(HR)=5.8, p<0.001). TNC showed higher chance of visceral relapse (HR=2.69, p<0.001), liver metastasis (HR=1.7, p=0.003) and brain metastasis (HR=1.8, p=0.003). Compared with non-TNC group, TNC had similar 10-year disease-free survival (82% vs 84%, p=0.148), overall survival (78% vs 79%, p=0.238) and breast cancer-specific mortality (18% vs 16%, p=0.095). However, TNC showed poorer 10-year stage 3 and 4 specific survival (stage 3: 53% vs. 67%, p=0.010; stage 4: 0% vs. 40%, p=0.035). Conclusions: Chinese women with triple negative breast cancer do not have less aggressive biological behavior compared to the West and presentation at a later stage results in worse prognosis compared with those with non triple negative breast cancer.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.119-124
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• 2007

Introduction: In Oriental medicine, the status of tongue is the important indicator to diagnose one's health, because it represents physiological and clinicopathological changes of inner parts of the body. The method of tongue diagnosis is not only convenient but also non-invasive, so tongue diagnosis is most widely used in Oriental medicine. By the way, since tongue diagnosis is affected by examination circumstances a lot, its performance depends on a light source, degrees of an angle, a medical doctor's condition etc. Therefore, it is not easy to make an objective and standardized tongue diagnosis. In order to solve this problem, in this study, we tried to design a discriminant function for thick and thin coating with color vectors of preprocessed image. Method: 52 subjects, who were diagnosed as white-coated tongue, were involved. Among them, 45 subjects diagnosed as thin coating and 7 subjects diagnosed as thick coating by oriental medical doctors, and then their tongue images were obtained from a digital tongue diagnosis system. Using those acquired tongue images, we implemented two steps: Preprocessing and image analyzing. The preprocessing part of this method includes histogram equalization and histogram stretching at each color component, especially, intensity and saturation. It makes the difference between tongue substance and tongue coating was more visible, so that we can separate tongue coating easily. Next part, we analyzed the characteristic of color values and found the threshold to divide tongue area into coating area. Then, from tongue coating image, it is possible to extract the variables that were important to classify thick and thin coating. Result : By statistical analysis, two significant vectors, associated with G, were found, which were able to describe the difference between thick and thin coating very well. Using these two variables, we designed the discriminant function for coating classification and examined its performance. As a result, the overall accuracy of thick and thin coating classification was 92.3%. Discussion : From the result, we can expect that the discriminant function is applicable to other coatings in a similar way. Also, it can be used to make an objective and standardized diagnosis.