• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3151-3156
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• 2014

Background: Sorafenib is a promising drug for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, treatment may be discontinued for multiple reasons, such as progressive disease, adverse events, or the cost of treatment. The consequences of sorafenib discontinuation and continuation are uncertain. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 88 HCC patients treated with sorafenib from July 2007 to January 2013. Overall survival (OS), post-disease progression overall survival (pOS), and time to disease progression (TTP) were compared for survival analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to assess the effect of important factors on OS in the overall patient population and on pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Results: Sorafenib was discontinued and continued in 24 and 64 patients, respectively. The median OS (355 vs 517 days respectively; p=0.015) and median post-PD OS (260 vs 317 days, respectively; p=0.020) were statistically different between the discontinuation and continuation groups. Neither the median time to first PD nor the time to second PD were significantly different between the 2 groups. In the discontinuation group, 3 of the 24 patients (12.5%) suffered disease outbreaks. In Cox proportional hazard regression analysis after correction for confounding factors, BCLC stage (p=0.002) and PD site (p=0.024) were significantly correlated with pOS in patients who continued sorafenib treatment. Conclusions: Sorafenib discontinuation may cause HCC flares or outbreaks. It is advisable to continue sorafenib treatment after first PD, particularly in patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage B disease or only intrahepatic PD.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.120-134
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• 2023

Purpose: We investigated whether repeated irradiation with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at a combination of 470 nm and 525 nm could suppress the progression of experimental periodontitis. Methods: A experimental periodontitis model was established in the second, third, and fourth premolars of the mandible in beagle dogs for 2 months. The spontaneous progression of periodontitis was monitored under the specified treatment regimen for 3 months. During this period, the animals were subjected to treatments of either plaque control only (control) or plaque control with LED application (test) at 2-week intervals. The clinical parameters included the probing pocket depth (PPD), gingival recession (GR), and the clinical attachment level (CAL). Histomorphometric analysis was performed using measurements of the length of the junctional epithelium, connective tissue (CT) zone, and total soft tissue (ST). Results: There were significant differences in PPD between the control and test groups at baseline and 12 weeks. When the change in PPD was stratified based on time intervals, it was shown that greater differences occurred in the test group, with statistical significance for baseline to 12 weeks, 6 to 12 weeks, and baseline to 6 weeks. There was no significant difference in GR between the control and test groups at any time points. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found in GR at any time intervals. CAL showed a statistically significant difference between the control and test groups at baseline only, although significant differences in CAL were observed between baseline and 12 weeks and between 6 and 12 weeks. The proportion of CT to ST was smaller for both buccal and lingual areas in the control group than in the test group. Conclusions: Repeated LED irradiation with a combination of 470-nm and 525-nm wavelengths may help suppress the progression of periodontal disease.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.2883-2887
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• 2015

Background: The calcium-binding S100A4 protein is involved in epithelial to mesenchymal transition, oncogenic transformation, angiogenesis, cytoskeletal integrity, mobility and metastasis of cancer cells. This study aimed to clarify the roles of S100A4 in genesis and progression of glioma. Materials and Methods: S100A4 expression was examined by real-time RT-CPR and Western blot in glioma and paired normal brain tissue (n=69), and compared with clinicopathological parameters of tumors. In addition, glioma U251 cells transfected with an S100A4-expressing plasmid were examined for proliferation by MTT, apoptosis by Annexin V-FITC, and migration and invasion with Transwell chambers. Results: Increased S100A4 mRNA expression was found in gliomas, compared with paired non-tumor tissue (p<0.001). Gradual elevation of overexpression of S100A4 was observed with increasing glioma grade (p<0.001). Astrocytoma showed lower S100A4 mRNA expression than oligodendrogliomas, with glioblastomas having highest values (p<0.001). Similar results were obtained for S100A4 protein, a positive link being found between mRNA and protein expression in gliomas (p<0.001). There was higher growth, lower apoptosis, stronger migration and invasion of S100A4 transfectants than control and mock transfected cells (p<0.001). Conclusions: These findings indicate that up-regulated S100A4 expression is positively linked to pathogenesis, progression and histogenesis of glioma by modulating proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2013

Purpose: We investigated the role of radiotherapy (RT) for pancreatobiliary neuroendocrine tumors (PB-NETs). Materials and Methods: We identified 9 patients with PB-NETs who received RT between January 2005 and March 2012. Of these 9 patients, 4 were diagnosed with NETs in the pancreas and 5 were diagnosed with NETs in the gallbladder. All patients received RT to the primary tumor or resection bed with a median total irradiation dose of 50.4 Gy, with or without chemotherapy. Results: The tumor response rate and tumor control rate in the RT field were 60% and 100 %, respectively. All 4 patients who underwent surgery had no evidence of disease in the RT field. Of the 5 patients who received RT to the primary gross tumor, 1 had complete response, 2 had partial response, and 2 had stable disease in the RT field. The median time to progression was 11 months. Of the 9 patients, four patients had no progression, and 5 patients had progression of disease (locoregional, 2; distant, 2; locoregional/distant, 1). Of the 4 patients without progression, 3 were treated with RT in adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting, and one received RT to primary tumor. One patient experienced radiation-induced duodenitis at 3 months after concurrent chemoradiation without treatment-related mortality. Conclusion: RT can yield local control for advanced PB-NETs. RT should be considered an essential part of multimodality treatment in management of advanced PB-NETs.

• The International Journal of Costume Culture
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.61-70
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• 2001

This study discuses the strategies for the reestabisgment of Korean textile industry by emphasizing the area of textile design which plays an important role in developing textile materials. The textile industry in Korea has been in stagnancy for a long period of time and appears to find no answer to the problem. The big part of the problem is that the industry itself does not realize the importance of textile design and its management does not understand its critical role in contributing the growth of the industry. To develop textile design, first, we need to foster textile designers who have the creativity, an understanding of international trend and a mind f management. This can be achieved through an education system with a close tie to the textile industry. Second, we need to globalize our textile design in three aspects : design, technology and marketing. A balanced and harmonized progression of these three aspects will guarantee a successful globalization of textile design. This progression, however, demands creativity, identity, and interaction on the design side, digital and networking on the technology side, and culture marketing, brand value, and global agent networking on the marketing side.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Intelligent Systems Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.372-375
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• 2003

The incidence of blindness resulting from diabetic retinopathy has significantly increased despite the intervention of insulin to control diabetes mellitus. Early signs are microaneurysms, exudates, intraretinal hemorrhages, cotton wool patches, microvascular abnormalities, and venous beading. Advanced stages include neovascularization, fibrous formations, preretinal and vitreous microhemorrhages, and retinal detachment. Microaneurysm count is important because it is an indicator of retinopathy progression. The purpose of this paper is to apply data mining to detect diabetic retinopathy patterns in routine fundus fluorescein angiography. Early symptoms are of principal interest and therefore the emphasis is on detecting microaneurysms rather than vessel tortuosity. The analysis does not involve image-recognition algorithms. Instead, mathematical filtering isolates microaneurysms, microhemorrhages, and exudates as objects of disconnected sets. A neural network is trained on their distribution to return fractal dimension. Hausdorff and box counting dimensions grade progression of the disease. The field is acquired on fluorescein angiography with resolution superior to color ophthalmoscopy, or on patterns produced by physical or mathematical simulations that model viscous fingering of water with additives percolated through porous media. A mathematical filter and neural network perform the screening process thereby eliminating the time consuming operation of determining fractal set dimension in every case.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.25-37
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• 2014

Recently, our local governments are conducting the introduction of tram system because it is recognized as an effective public transit that can solve a traffic jam in downtown, decreasing public transit share and environmental issues in world wide cities. We developed the Active Priority Control Strategy to efficiently operate a tram in our existing traffic signal system. This study organized the tram system for operating the Active Priority Signal Control, developed the algorithm that calculates a tram-stop dwell time in order to pass the downstream intersection without a stop. The dwell time is determined by arrival time at tram-stop, downstream signal time, and the location of a opposite tram, it can be reduced by choosing the optimal one among Signal Priority Controls. Using the VISSIM and VISVAP model, we conducted a simulation test for the city of Chang-won that it is expected to install a tram system. It showed that a developed signal control strategy is effective to prevent a tram's stop in intersections, to reduce a tram's travel time.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.222-238
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to explore a learning progression for integrated process skills in Earth science inquiry. For the purpose, a hypothetical learning progression (HLP) that capture how students' integrated process skills of science become sophisticated over time is developed through the literature review. This learning progression contains four components of the integrated process skills of science: designing inquiry, collecting data, analyzing data, and forming conclusion. Three hypothetico-deductive inquiry tasks of Earth science that start from recognition of the given problem to the forming conclusion are developed in order to document students' integrated process skills. A total of 126 students from middle, high, college level students participated in this study. After conducting the Earth science inquiry tasks, the integrated process skills of individual students are assessed by element based on HLP. In addition, the validation process for HLP was administered by applying the Rasch model using the students' assessment data. Finally, based on the analyzed data, the empirical learning progression (ELP) is developed by revising and supplementing the HLP. This study can help to find scaffolding methods to effectively improve the students' integrated process skills in Earth science inquiry class by identifying the factors that affect students' development of integrated process skills. It also provide implications for improving teachers' PCK of Earth science inquiry instruction.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.352-363
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• 2001

Purpose: To investigate ictal hyperperfusion patterns during semiologic progression of seizures, we performed SPECT subfraction in 50 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Materials and Methods: The patients were categorized Into five groups according to semiologic progression during ictal SPECT (group-1 having only aura; group-2 haying motionless staling with or without aura; group-3 having motionless staring and then automatism with or without aura; group-4 having motionless staring and then dystonic posturing with or without aura and automatism; group-5 having motionless staring, automatism, then head version and generalized seizures with or without aura and dystonic posturing). Results: In group-1, three patients showed ipsilateral temporal hyperperfusion and two had bilateral temporal hyperperfusion with ipsilateral predominance. In group-2, three (42.9%) patients showed bilateral temporal hyperperfusion with unilateral predominance and four (57.1%) revealed insular hyperperfusion of epileptic side. In group-3, 15 patients (88.2%) showed bilateral temporal hyperperfusion with unilateral predominance and 12 (70.6%) insular hyperperfusion. In group-4, 11 patients (84.6%) showed basal ganglia hyperperfusion on the opposite hemisphere to the side of the dystonic posturing. en group-5, there were multiple hyperperfusion areas in the frontal, temporal and basal ganglia regions. However, the injection times of radiotracer in five groups were relatively short and similar. Conclusions: The semiologic progression in TLE seizures were related to the propagation of hyperperfusion from ipsilateral temporal lobe to contralateral temporal lobe, insula, basal ganglia, and frontal lobe. Not only the radiotracer injection time but also semiologic progression after the Injection was significant in determining hyperperfusion pattern of ictal SPECT.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.691-694
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• 2013

Purpose: By carrying out a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared sorafenib or combined chemotherapy with placebo or combined chemotherapy, the effectiveness of sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma was evaluated in the present study, which also provided clinical practice guidelines of evidence-based-medicine. Methods: We reviewed PubMed citations concerning sorafenib treating hepatocellular carcinoma in randomized controlled trials from Jan 2000 to July 2012. All the literature was extracted by Cochrane systematic reviews and underwent meta-analysis with RewMan 5.0 software. Results: Finally, four papers documenting randomized controlled studies were included. Compared with controls, sorafenib was shown to significantly increase overall survival (OS), time to progression (TTP), and disease control rates (DCR), but not the time to symptom progression (TTSP) in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. The incidence of grade-III/IV adverse reactions, including hand-foot-skin reactions, diarrhea, hypertension and skin rash or desquamation, in sorafenib treatment group was higher than that in controls. However, there was no significant difference in the incidence of hypodynamia between the two groups. Conclusions: Sorafenib exerts significant curative effects in hepatocellular carcinoma.