• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.78-87
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• 2024

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The prevalence of obesity, a worldwide pandemic, has been increasing steadily in Korea. Reports have shown that increased intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, independent of body mass index. However, the relationship between dietary intake and IMAT accumulation in the Korean population remains undetermined. The objective of this study was to evaluate regional fat compartments using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. We also aimed to investigate the association between IMAT amounts and dietary intake, including carbohydrate intake, among Korean individuals with obesity. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This cross-sectional study, performed at a medical center in South Korea, recruited 35 individuals with obesity (15 men and 20 women) and classified them into 2 groups according to sex. Anthropometry was performed, and body fat distribution was measured using MRI. Blood parameters, including glucose and lipid profiles, were analyzed using commercial kits. Linear regression analysis was used to test whether the IMAT was associated with daily carbohydrate intake. RESULTS: Carbohydrate intake was positively associated with IMAT in all individuals, with adjustments for age, sex, height, and weight. No significant differences in blood indicators were found between the sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of sex and age, higher carbohydrate intake was strongly correlated with greater IMAT accumulation. This suggests the need to better understand sex differences and high carbohydrate diet patterns in relation to the association between obesity and metabolic risk, which may help reduce obesity prevalence.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.137-147
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• 2002

Natural geological and environmental processes reflect to element abundances in geological materials on the surface. This study aims to elucidate a possibility of geostatistical application to differentiate geochemical anomalies affected by anthropogenic and geogenic factors. A regional geochemical map was produced using 'inverse distance weight interpolation' method for analytical results of stream sediments «150 11m) which were collected from 2,290 first- to second-order streams over the whole Gyeonggi Province. The Jurassic granitic batholith in the southeastern province was selected as a target for the geostatistical examination. Factor analysis was conducted using 22 elements for stream sediments from 445 drainage basins over the granitic body. Co, Cr, Sc, MgO, Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$, V, and Ni were grouped with high correlation coefficients and the depletion of the components may reflect the whole-rock chemistry of the granite. Regression analysis was done using Co, Cr, and Sc as dependent variables and other six components as independent variables, and the results were drawn as maps. The maps acquired generally show quite similar distribution patterns with those of concentrations of each variable. The similarity in the spatial patterns between the two maps indicates that the application of regression statistics can be valid for the interpretation of regional geochemical data. However, some components show local discrepancies which may be influenced by secondary factors regardless of the basement lithology. The regression analysis may be effective in extracting local geochemical anomalies which may reflect rather anthropogenic pollutions than geogenic influences.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.19
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• pp.8069-8073
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• 2014

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent cancers worldwide, with a high mortality. Most patients present with late stage disease, when the treatment options are limited to systemic chemotherapy. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the significance of p53 and EGFR expression in HCC, and to determine whether these two markers correlate with conventional parameters of prognosis. Materials and Methods: Our study included a total of 45 patients, diagnosed histopathologically with HCC. Clinicopathological data including sex, age, tumor necrosis, tumor size, histologic grading, tumor stage, the presence of cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis, were recorded from the Institute database. Three independent microscopic fields were selected for each sample and all the tumor cells within each microscopic field were counted, and then the positive percent of p53 cells were calculated. Three staining patterns were recognized: diffuse, heterogenous and focal. The intensity of EGFR staining was scored on a scale of 0-3+: 0 no staining; 1+ when a weak membrane staining was observed; 2+ when membrane staining is more intense than in 1+, but less than 3+, and 3+ when intense dark brown staining delineated the membrane. To determine the relationship between EGFR expression and p53, we performed double staining in the same HCC specimens. Results: By immunohistochemical staining, p53 protein was detected in tumor cell nuclei in 20 HCCs (44%). We found a significant correlation between the intensity of p53 expression and the histological grade (p=0.008). EGFR expression was detected in 17 (38%) cases, linked to histological grade (p=0.039). Moreover, the intensity of p53 expression was significantly correlated with EGFR intensity (p=0.014). Conclusions: Our results suggest that overexpression of p53 and EGFR plays an important role in hepatocarcinogenesis and contributes to more advanced disease. These markers are not only valuable predictors of prognosis in HCC, but they are also rational targets for new anti-tumor strategies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1041-1045
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• 2015

Background: Paget's disease (PD) is a rare form of intraepithelial adenocarcinoma that involves breast and extramammarian tissues. It is often associated with ductal carcinoma in situ and/or invasive ductal cancer. Molecular pathways that play a role in development of Paget's disease are stil unclear. Expression patterns of Cox-2 and bcl-2 were therefore assessed. Materials and Methods: Patients with a histopathological diagnosis of Paget's disease were included in this study. Patient files were analysed retrospectively. Results: Invasive cancer was diagnosed in 35 (76.1%) of the patients, 7 (15.2%) had ductal carcinoma in situ and 4 (8.7%) patients had no associated neoplasm. Twenty four (52.2%) patients showed COX-2 expression in Paget cells whereas no expression was seen in 22 (47.8%) patients. No relation was found between COX-2 expression and the lesion underlying Paget's disease (p=0.518). Bcl-2 expression in Paget cells was found positive in 12 (26.1%) and negative in 27 (58,7%) cases. There was no relation between Bcl-2 expression and the lesion accompanying Paget's disease (p=0.412). No relation was observed between COX-2 expression and Bcl-2 expression (p=0.389). Conclusions: In breast cancer, COX-2 expression is associated with poor prognostic factors. As COX-2 expression increases the tendency to metastasize also increases. In our study we found a significantly high COX-2 expression in Paget's disease of the breast. We suggest that COX-2 expression and inflammatory processes may play a role in pathogenesis of the Paget's disease of the breast.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.2 s.24
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• pp.419-430
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• 1988

This study was performed in a rural community, Kanghwa county which was introduced to a regional medical insurance pilot program in 1982. The purposes of this study were, firstly, to observe the changes in ambulatory care utilization in the three years 1982, 1983 and 1987 : secondly, to analyse factors which convert perceived medical care needs to effective medical care demand. During the three periods, a serial interview survey was performed to determine the changes in medical utilization before and after the regional medical insurance program implementation. The number of subjects was 3,356 persons in the year 1982, 3,705 in 1983 and 2,745 in 1987. The results of the study were as follows : 1. Total ambulatory care utilization rates per 100 persons during a 2-week period were 23.6 in the year 1982, 21.8 in 1983, and 29.3 in 1987; and physician visit rates were 6.1 in 1982, 11.7 in 1983, and 14.9 in 1987. Thus, compared to the total utilization rate there was a definite increase in physician visit, and during the study periods there was a decrease in drug store visits whereas an increase in hospital or clinic visits was noticed. 2. The rates of effective demand for medical care need were 70.7% in 1982, 70.5% in 1983 and 75.9% in 1987 : and the rates of patients who visited physicians were 20.2% in 1982, 42.8% in 1983 and 35.6% in 1987. Thus, physician visits increased sharply by introducing the medical insurance program, but after the latent medical care demands were fulfilled, there was a slight decrease in the physician visits. 3. The number of acute symptoms and the number of chronic symptoms were common determinants of total ambulatory care utilization and physician visits. Besides the medical care need factors, age in 1982, sex and accessibility in 1983, and accessibility in 1987 were statistically significant determinants of the total utilization ; sex and accessibility in 1983, and education in 1987 were also statistically significant determinants of the physician visit. 4. For persons with perceived acute symptoms during the 2-week periods, accessibility in total utilization and age in physician visits were common discriminating factors of ambulatory care utilization in the three years, and education and income were also statistically significant variables. For persons with perceived chronic symptoms, occupation and income were statistically significant discriminating variables commonly observed in total utilization and physician visits.

• Atmosphere
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.377-390
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• 2020

Not only emissions, but also atmospheric circulation is a key factor that affects local particulate matters (PM) concentrations in Korea through ventilation effects and transboundary transports. As part of the atmospheric circulation, air stagnation especially adversely affects local air quality due to weak ventilation. This study investigates the large-scale circulation related to air stagnation over Korea during winter and projects the climate change impacts on atmospheric patterns, using observed PM data, reanalysis and regional climate projections from HadGEM3-RA with Modified Korea Particulate matter Index. Results show that the stagnation affects the PM concentration, accompanied by pressure ridge at upper troposphere and weaken zonal pressure gradient at lower troposphere. Downscaling using HadGEM3-RA is found to yield Added-Value in the simulated low tropospheric winds. For projection of future stagnation, SSP5-8.5 and SSP1-2.6 (high and low emission) scenarios are used here. It has been found that the stagnation condition occurs more frequently by 11% under SSP5-8.5 and by 5% under SSP1-2.6 than in present-day climate and is most affected by changes in surface wind speed. The increase in the stagnation conditions is related to anticyclonic circulation anomaly at upper troposphere and weaken meridional pressure gradient at lower troposphere. Considering that the present East Asian winter monsoon is mainly affected by change in zonal pressure gradient, it is worth paying attention to this change in the meridional gradient. Our results suggest that future warming condition increase the frequency of air stagnation over Korea during winter with response of atmospheric circulation and its nonlinearity.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.34-44
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• 2016

Background: Little is known about how chemical water quality is associated with ecological stream health in relation to landuse patterns in a watershed. We evaluated spatial characteristics of water quality characteristics and the ecological health of Dongjin-River basin, Korea in relation to regional landuse pattern. The ecological health was assessed by the multi-metric model of Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), and the water chemistry data were compared with values obtained from the health model. Results: Nutrient and organic matter pollution in Dongjin-River basin, Korea was influenced by land use pattern and the major point sources, so nutrients of TN and TP increased abruptly in Site 4 (Jeongeup Stream), which is directly influenced by wastewater treatment plants along with values of electric conductivity (EC), bacterial number, and sestonic chlorophyll-a. Similar results are shown in the downstream (S7) of Dongjin River. The degradation of chemical water quality in the downstream resulted in greater impairment of the ecological health, and these were also closely associated with the landuse pattern. Forest region had low nutrients (N, P), organic matter, and ionic content (as the EC), whereas urban and agricultural regions had opposite in the parameters. Linear regression analysis of the landuse (arable land; $A_L$) on chemicals indicated that values of $A_L$ had positive linear relations with TP ($R^2=0.643$, p < 0.01), TN ($R^2=0.502$, p < 0.05), BOD ($R^2=0.739$, p < 0.01), and suspended solids (SS; ($R^2=0.866$, p < 0.01), and a negative relation with TDN:TDP ratios ($R^2=0.719$, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Chemical factors were closely associated with land use pattern in the watershed, and these factors influenced the ecological health, based on the multimetric fish IBI model. Overall, the impairments of water chemistry and the ecological health in Dongjin-River basin were mainly attributes to point-sources and land-use patterns.

• Journal of Korean Society of Rural Planning
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• v.12 no.1 s.30
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• pp.37-48
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• 2006

The objectives of this study were to develop an evaluation method of regional vulnerability to agricultural drought and to classify the vulnerability patterns. In order to test the method, 24 city or county areas of Gyeonggi-do were chose. First, statistic data and digital maps referred for agricultural drought were defined, and the input data of 31 items were set up from 5 categories: land use factor, water resource factor, climate factor, topographic and soil factor, and agricultural production foundation factor. Second, for simplification of the factors, principal component analysis was carried out, and eventually 4 principal components which explain about 80.8% of total variance were extracted. Each of the principal components was explained into the vulnerability components of scale factor, geographical factor, weather factor and agricultural production foundation factor. Next, DVIP (Drought Vulnerability Index for Paddy), was calculated using factor scores from principal components. Last, by means of statistical cluster analysis on the DVIP, the study area was classified as 5 patterns from A to E. The cluster A corresponds to the area where the agricultural industry is insignificant and the agricultural foundation is little equipped, and the cluster B includes typical agricultural areas where the cultivation areas are large but irrigation facilities are still insufficient. As for the cluster C, the corresponding areas are vulnerable to the climate change, and the D cluster applies to the area with extensive forests and high elevation farmlands. The last cluster I indicates the areas where the farmlands are small but most of them are irrigated as much.

• Journal of the Korean Geographical Society
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.68-87
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• 1996

This paper investigates spatio-temporal changes in the international system of linkages among multinational corporate domestic decision-making centers and their overseas subsidiary centers for the period 1974-1991. During this period advances in information technologies and an ever increasing interdependent world economy have permitted the globalization of resource transfers, production techniques, service provision and financial transactions. Based on a network theory of internationalization, the study idenifies the dispersion of multinational control centers and the diversification of their linkage patterns. These tendencies are led by small and medium sized quaternary places as well as the rapid growth of service industries. Corporate headquarters cease to be tied together to big corporate and governmental centers but will disperse over time at global, national and regional level. Using information statistics, this paper confirms the dispersion patterns of capital flows and diversification of multinational control linkages. With an increasing trend toward a multicentric world system and the associated diecline of the global hegemony of a small number of largest cities, multinational control linkages should continue to disperse.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.233-246
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• 2012

In this study, we investigated the applicability of the photostimulated luminescence(PSL), thermoluminescence(TL) and electron spin resonance(ESR) methods for various foods which are not allowed to be irradiated in Korea. All 15 foods including sesame, almond, peanut, cocoa powder etc. were analyzed. Samples were irradiated at 1~10 kGy using a $^{60}Co$ gamma-ray irradiator. In PSL study, the photon counts of all the unirradiated samples showed negative(lower than 700). The photon counts irradiated(1 kGy) dried shrimp, roasted peanut and seasoned peanut showed positive(higher than 5,000) and the other samples were negative or intermediate(> 700 and < 5,000). In TL analysis, results showed that it is possible to apply TL method to all foods containing minerals. In ESR measurements, the ESR signal(single-line) intensity of irradiated foods was higher than non-irradiated foods. In particular, the specific ESR signals of irradiation-induced crystalline sugar, cellulose and bone radical were detected in dried plum, raisin, dried cherry, mango(dried, frozen), rambutan, cocoa(powder), cinnamon, parsley, carrot, broccoli, dried arrow squid, dried pollack and dried shrimp. According to the results, PSL, TL and ESR methods were successfully applied to detect the irradiated foods because TL method is not able to detect the irradiated foods rarely composed of minerals. ESR is also a difficult method to detect the changes of ESR signal patterns of food. It is concluded that TL analysis or ESR assay is suitable for detection of irradiated samples and a combined method is recommendable for enhancing the reliability of detection results.