• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.639-644
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• 2014

Congenital malaria is assumed to be a risk factor for infant morbidity and mortality in endemic areas like Maumere, Indonesia. Infected infants are susceptible to its impact such as premature labor, low birth weight, anemia, and other unspecified symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of congenital malaria and the influence of mother-infant paired parasite densities on the clinical outcome of the newborns at TC Hillers Hospital, Maumere. An analytical cross sectional study was carried out in newborns which showed criteria associated with congenital malaria. A thick and thin blood smear confirmed by nested PCR was performed in both mothers and infants. The association of congenital malaria with the newborn's health status was then assessed. From 112 mother-infant pairs included in this study, 92 were evaluated further. Thirty-nine infants (42.4%) were found to be infected and half of them were asymptomatic. Infected newborns had a 4.7 times higher risk in developing anemia compared to uninfected newborns (95% CI, 1.3-17.1). The hemoglobin level, erythrocyte amount, and hematocrit level were affected by the infants' parasite densities (P<0.05). Focusing on newborns at risk of congenital malaria, the prevalence is almost 3 times higher than in an unselected collective. Low birth weight, anemia, and pre-term birth were the most common features. Anemia seems to be significantly influenced by infant parasite densities but not by maternal parasitemia.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.625-630
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• 2008

This study was undertaken with the aim of developing an easy and quick means of analyzing the effect of various compounds on the synthesis and secretion of human type I collagen at the protein level. A modification of the ELISA method was used on HFF-1 cells. For the proof of concept, we used thirteen compounds most of which are known to be antioxidants. Each compound was tested at concentrations of 0, 10 and $100{\mu}m$ on HFF-1 cells for 24 h. Thirteen sets of experiments for each compound were performed in ANOVA with three replicates. Duncan multiple range test (DMRT) was used to compare the mean values obtained from the treatment groups. From the results it was concluded that Vitamin C, undecylenic acid, conjugated linoleic acid, glycolic acid, and citric acid at $100{\mu}m$ concentration could be used for anti-wrinkling or protection from premature aging, which requires enhancement of collagen synthesis. Lactic acid, EGCG, resveratrol, and retinol that can inhibit collagen synthesis effectively in a dose-dependent manner may be used for anti-fibrosis treatment purposes.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.267-272
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• 2015

Nacre seashell is a natural osteoinductive biomaterial with strong effects on osteoprogenitors, osteoblasts, and osteoclasts during bone tissue formation and morphogenesis. Although nacre has shown, in one study, to induce bridging of new bone across large non-union bone defects in 8 individual human patients, there have been no succeeding human surgical studies to confirm this outstanding potency. But the molecular mechanisms associated with nacre osteoinduction and the influence on bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC's), skeletal stem cells or bone marrow stromal cells remain elusive. In this study we highlight the phenotypic and biochemical effects of Pinctada maxima nacre chips and the global nacre soluble protein matrix (SPM) on primary human bone marrow-derived stromal cells (hBMSCs) in vitro. In static co-culture with nacre chips, the hBMSCs secreted Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) at levels that exceeded bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP-2) treatment. Concentrated preparation of SPM applied to Stro-1 selected hBMSC's led to rapid ALP secretions, at concentrations exceeding the untreated controls even in osteogenic conditions. Within 21 days the same population of Stro-1 selected hBMSCs proliferated and secreted collagens I-IV, indicating the premature onset of an osteoblast phenotype. The same SPM was found to promote unselected hBMSC differentiation with osteocalcin detected at 7 days, and proliferation increased at 7 days in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, nacre particles and nacre SPM induced the early stages of human bone cell differentiation, indicating that they may be promising soluble factors with osteoinductive capacity in primary human bone cell progenitors such as, hBMSC's.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.352-361
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• 2010

Objectives: This study estimated the annual socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease in 2008 from a societal perspective and using a cost-of-illness method. Methods: Our model employed a comprehensive set of diagnostic disease codes to define food-borne diseases with using the Korea National Health Insurance (KNHI) reimbursement data. This study classified the food borne illness as three types of symptoms according to the severity of the illness: mild, moderate, severe. In addition to the traditional method of assessing the cost-of-illness, the study included measures to account for the lost quality of life. We estimated the cost of the lost quality of life using quality-adjusted life years and a visual analog scale. The direct cost included medical and medication costs, and the non-medical costs included transportation costs, caregiver's cost and administration costs. The lost productivity costs included lost workdays due to illness and lost earnings due to premature death. Results: The study found the estimated annual socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease in 2008 were 954.9 billion won (735.3 billion won-996.9 billion won). The medical cost was 73.4 -76.8% of the cost, the lost productivity cost was 22.6% and the cost of the lost quality of life was 26.0%. Conclusions: Most of the cost-of-illness studies are known to have underestimated the actual socioeconomic costs of the subjects, and these studies excluded many important social costs, such as the value of pain, suffering and functional disability. The study addressed the uncertainty related to estimating the socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease as well as the updated cost estimates. Our estimates could contribute to develop and evaluate policies for food-borne disease.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.85-88
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• 2011

Purpose: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a relatively uncommon type of stress-induced cardiomyopathy characterized by transient left ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities. Emotional and physical stresses play a key role in this type of cardiomyopathy in postmenopausal women. The current hypothesis is that the syndrome represents a form of catecholamine surge due to stress or epinephrine-mediated acute myocardial stunning. Methods: A 44-year-old woman had suffered premature ventricular contraction following a cardiogenic shock during a breast augmentation surgery under enflurane anesthesia and tumescent solution infiltration. She was treated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation at a local clinic. Then she was brought to the Emergency Department of the authors' hospital. Results: The woman's echocardiogram showed an ejection fraction of 20~25% with associated basal hyperkinesis and left ventricular apical ballooning. The patient was admitted to the ICU and required inotropic support for two weeks. The patient's condition dramatically improved, and her ejection fraction returned to 70%. Conclusion: It is believed that there were multiple triggering factors of the onset of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in the woman's social and family history, including infiltration of a large volume of the tumescent solution and VPCs induced by enflurane anesthesia without premedication. The importance of careful history-taking, careful pre-operative consultation on psychological suffering especially for breast surgery, premedication before surgery, patient reassurance, and post-operative psychosocial and emotional assistance was again seen in this case.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.77-80
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• 2011

Purpose: We report a patient with DiGeorge syndrome who was later diagnosed as mild metopic synostosis and received anterior 2/3 calvarial remodeling. Methods: A 16-month-old boy, who underwent palatoplasty for cleft palate at Chungnam National University Hospital when he was 12 months old of age, visited St. Mary's Hospital for known DiGeorge syndrome with craniosynostosis. He had growth retardation and was also diagnosed with hydronephrosis and thymic agenesis. His chromosomal study showed microdeletion of 22q11.2. On physical examination, there were parieto-occipital protrusion and bifrontotemporal narrowing. The facial bone computed tomography showed premature closure of metopic suture, orbital harlequin sign and decreased anterior cranial volume. The interorbital distance was decreased (17 mm) and the cephalic index was 93%. Results: After the correction of metopic synostosis by anterior 2/3 calvarial remodeling, the anterior cranial volume expanded with increased interorbital distance and decreased cephalic index. Fever and pancytopenia were noted at 1 month after the operation, and he was diagnosed as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis by bone marrow study. He however, recovered after pediatric treatment. There was no other complication during the 12 month follow up period. Conclusion: This case presents with a rare combination of DiGeorge syndrome and metopic synostosis. When a child is diagnosed with DiGeorge syndrome soon after the birth, clinicians should keep in mind the possibility of an accompanying craniosynostosis. Other possible comorbidities should also be evaluated before the correction of craniosynostosis in patients as DiGeorge syndrome. In addition, postoperative management requires a thorough follow up by a multidisciplinary team of plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists and pediatricians.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.137-150
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• 2014

In the marine industry although there has been significant growth towards safety, security and risk assessments or risk-based strategies such as marine insurance and regulations to avoid the risks of damage to properties and the environment or the prospect of premature death caused by accidents etc, the moves toward managing the risks which are linked directly to the business functions and decision making processes have been very slow. Furthermore in the marine industry most perceptions, methodologies and frameworks of dealing with hazards, risks, safety and security issues are for their assessment rather than their management. This trend reveals the fact that in different marine industry sectors such as logistics and shipping there is a lack of coherent risk management framework or methodology from which to understand the risk-based decisions especially for the purpose of design, construction, operation, management and even decommissioning of the marine related applications. On the other hand risk management is not yet viewed holistically in the marine industry in order to, for example, assign a right person, i.e. risk manager, who can act as a coordinator and advisor with responsibilities that are only specific to risk management. As a result this paper, by examining the present physical borders and risk-based activities in the marine industry, aims to propose an appropriate risk management methodology in addition to the emergent role of risk managers which will enable the industry users initially to become familiar with the concept of risk management at its holistic level. In the later stages this eventually can lead to development of risk management capabilities at an exclusive level and its integration into the marine industry functions in future.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.321-337
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• 2020

Contemporary design and construction of steel-concrete composite structures employs the use of prefabricated concrete elements and demountable shear connectors in order to reduce the construction time and costs and enable dismantling of elements for their potential reuse at the end of life of buildings. Bolted shear connector with mechanical coupler is presented in this paper. The connector is assembled from mechanical coupler and rebar anchor, embedded in concrete, and steel bolt, used for connecting steel to concrete members. The behaviour and ultimate resistance of bolted connector with mechanical coupler in wide and narrow members were analysed based on push-out tests and FE analyses conducted in Abaqus software, with focus on concrete edge breakout and bolt shear failure modes. The effect of concrete strength, concrete edge distance and diameter and strength of bolts on failure modes and shear resistance was analysed. It was demonstrated that premature failure by breakout of concrete edge occurs when connectors are located 100 mm or closer from the edge in low-strength and normal-strength reinforced concrete. Furthermore, the paper presents a relatively simple model for hand calculation of concrete edge breakout resistance when bolted connectors with mechanical coupler are used. The model is based on the modification of prediction model used for cast-in and post-installed anchors loaded parallel to the edge, by implementing equivalent influence length of connector with variable diameter. Good agreement with test and FE results was obtained, thus confirming the validity of the proposed method.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1577-1581
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• 2016

Tobacco use is a well-established risk factor for many types of cancers. Recent data on selected cancer incidence and mortality related to smoking in the Indonesian population are provided in this study. Morbidity and mortality data were derived from GLOBOCAN 2012 and the population attributable fraction (PAF) was estimated using the standard methodology developed by the World Health Organization. Using these data, we calculated disability adjusted life year (DALY) values for smoking-related cancer. The DALY was estimated by summation of the years lived with disability (YLD) and years life lost due to premature death (YLL). The cancer cases related to smoking in Indonesia numbered 45,132, accounting for 35,580 cancer deaths. The morbidity and mortality of lung cancer can be considered as the highest priority in both men and women. Furthermore the greatest YLD due to smoking in Indonesian men and women were from pancreas and lung cancers. For YLL among men, the highest years lost were from lung and liver cancers. On the other hand, among women lung oral cavity and lip were most important. Based on the DALY indicator, burden priorities for Indonesian men were lung cancer (298,980), liver cancer (60,367), and nasopharynx (46,185), while among Indonesian women they were lung cancer (34,119), cervix uteri (9,213) and pancreas cancer (5,433). In total, Indonesian burden of cancers attributed to smoking was 638,682 DALY. This study provides evidence about the burden of cancers caused by smoking as a rational basis for initiating national tobacco control policies in Indonesia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.15
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• pp.6557-6559
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• 2015

Background: Cervical human papillomavirus (HPV) infection among young women (20-25 years of age) is common and normally transient. There are growing concerns that referral to a colposcopy clinic may lead to unnecessary treatment with an increased risk of obstetric complications. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the level of intervention for cervical abnormalities in this age group of the Northern Ireland population. Materials and Methods: A review of all serial new patients under 25 years of age, who were referred to colposcopy clinics in Northern Ireland between January 1, 2009 to June 30, 2009 formed the basis of this study. Results: During the study period, a total of 4,767 women under 25 years of age were screened. Two-hundred-and-thirty-four (4.9%) cases were referred to the colposcopy clinics. The cervical cytology results were: high-grade abnormality in 35%, and low-grade abnormality in 31% of these cases. One-hundred-and-seventy-eight (76%) of the referred women received at least one treatment. One-hundred-and-twenty-one of 234 (51.5%) women underwent an excisional treatment with histology showing the presence of high-grade abnormalities (CIN2-3) in 52%, CIN1 in 28%, and Koilocytosis or normal tissue in 20% of this sub-group of cases. Conclusions: Screening women under the age of 25 years cause unnecessary referral for colposcopy. This may also result in considerable anxiety and psychosexual morbidity. It leads to an over-treatment with a potential of negative impact on the future pregnancy outcomes (including pre-term delivery, low birth weight, and pre-term premature rupture of membranes).