• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.143-181
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• 2005

This article examines factors that influence health and quality of life. In addition to the symptomatology and physiological functioning, the influence of the psychological functioning and interpersonal relationship on the overall health and quality of life are also investigated. Using a case-study approach, a total of 70 patients suffering from allergy or asthma were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire developed by the present authors. It assessed the following six areas: Cause and onset of illness, psychological functioning, health management, trust, social support received and overall health and quality of life. Based on the transactional model (Bandura, 1997; Kim & Park, 2005), the results of the case studies have been integrated and divided into three aspects: (1) Cause and onset of illness that includes physiological and environment factors; (2) mediating influences that includes psychological functioning, health management, interpersonal relationship and social support received; and (3) outcome factor that includes symptomatology, health and quality of life. The psychological functioning includes self-efficacy (self-regulated efficacy, efficacy for enlisting social support, efficacy for managing the environment, and efficacy for overcoming difficulties), positive outlook, life goals, experience of stress, and proxy control. Interpersonal relationship includes trust of family members and the physician. Health management includes receiving proper health assessment, following the advice and prescription given by the physicians, control of the environment and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The results indicate that physiological, psychological, relational and environment factors interact with each other and affect individual's overall health and quality of life. Self-efficacy, social support received from family members, trust of physicians, and the health care system are key factors promoting healthy lifestyle and quality of life. The results indicate the need for further interdisciplinary, indigenous and cultural psychological research.

• Korean Journal of Culture and Social Issue
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.103-129
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• 2004

This article examines the Korean adolescents and adults' social representation and trust of Korean society and people using indigenous psychological analysis. Respondents were asked to write in an open-ended questionnaire their perception of the following five aspects: Korean politics, economy, society, culture and people. They were then asked to report why they trust or distrust Korean society. A total of 1,064 respondents (218 middle school students, 200 university students, 218 fathers of the middle school students, 218 mothers of the middle school students, and 210 teachers) completed a questionnaire developed by the present researchers. The data were collected during April to June, 2003. The results indicate that 94.5% of Koreans view the existing political system and politicians as being corrupt, inept, factional, and lacking in integrity. A vast majority (84.9%) recognize the existence of systemic problems in the Korean economy. A total of 78.2% see problems in Korean society being dominated by selfishness, factionalism, conservatism, and social uncertainty. For Korean culture, a majority of respondents report being proud of its cultural tradition, accomplishment, and creativity. At the same time, 45.7% report loss of cultural identity and pride due to external influences. More than half of the respondents report negative aspects of Korean people (i.e., selfish, lack of morality, rushed, and overly focused on their social image), while nearly half of the respondents report positive aspects of Korean people as being compassionate, cooperative, good-natured and hard-working. As for reason for trusting Korean society, around a third report "because it is our country," followed by its future potential, and the good-nature and willingness of Korean people to work hard. The reasons for distrusting Korean society is the dishonesty politicians, corruption, institutional ineptness, and economic uncertainty. These results indicate a low level of collective efficacy in influencing and affecting change in Korean society.

• Journal of Dental Rehabilitation and Applied Science
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.195-203
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of surface sealants on the surface roughness of composite resins. Materials and Methods: The study used microfilled composite resin (Metafil CX, Sun Medical Co.) and hybrid composite resin (Aelite^TM LS posterior, Bisco). Sixty specimens (8 mm in diameter and 4 mm in height) of each composite resin type were prepared and divided into 3 groups. Each specimen was ground with 600, 1000, and 2000-grit sandpaper. The Surface roughness (Ra) values were measured using a surface roughness tester (SJ-301, Mytutoyo) before and after surface sealant application. Surface sealants, BisCover^TM LV (Bisco), Optiguard^® (Kerr), and Seal-n-Shine^TM (Pulpdent), were applied to the specimens, as instructed and observed by scanning electron microscope (JSM-7500, JEOL) and atomic force microscope (MultiMode IV, Veeco Instruments). Results: Specimens ground with 600-grit sandpaper coated with surface sealants exhibited significantly lower Ra values than the untreated group (P < 0.05). Specimens ground with 1000 and 2000-grit sandpaper showed statistically no difference. There was no significant difference in surface roughness among BisCover^TM LV, Optiguard^®, and Seal-n-Shine^TM. SEM and AFM revealed remarkably decreased microdefects on the surfaces of composite resins after surface sealant application. Conclusion: Surface sealants can influence surface roughness when applied on the rough surface of composite resins but not on highly polished composite resins.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.76-82
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• 2011

Purpose: Lymphoscintigraphy is absolutely being used standard examination in lymphatic diagnosis, evaluation after treatment, and it is useful for lymphedema to plan therapy. In case of lymphoscintigraphy of lower-extremity lymphedema, it had an effect on results if patients had not pose same position on the examination of 1 min, 1 hour and 2 hours after injection. So we'll study the methods to improve confidence with minimized quantitative analysis errors by influence factors. Materials and Methods: Being used the Infinia of GE Co. we injected $^{99m}Tc$-phytate 37 MBq (1.0 mCi) 4 sylinges into 40 people's feet hypodermically from June to August 2010 in Samsung Medical Center. After we acquired images of fixed and unfixed condition, we confirmed the count values change by attenuation of soft tissue and bone according to different feet position. And we estimated 5 times increasing 2 cm of distance between $^{99m}Tc$ point source and detector each time to check counts difference according to distance change by different feet position. Finally, we compared 1 and 6 min lymphoscintigraphy images with same position to check the effect of quantitative analysis results owing to difference of amounts of movement of the $^{99m}Tc$-phytate in the lymphatic duct. Results: Percentage difference regarding error values showed minimum 2.7% and maximum 25.8% when comparing fixed and unfixed feet position of lymphoscintigraphy examination at 1 min after injection. And count values according to distance were 173,661 (2 cm), 172,095 (4 cm), 170,996 (6 cm), 167,677 (8 cm), 169,208 counts (10 cm) which distance was increased interval of 2 cm and basal value was mean 176,587 counts, and percentage difference values were not over 2.5% such as 1.27, 1.79, 2.04, 2.42, 2.35%. Also, Assessment results about amounts of movement in lymphatic duct within 6 min until scanning after injection showed minimum 0.15%, and maximum 2.3% which were amounts of movement. We can recognize that error values represent over 20% due to only attenuation of soft tissue and bone except for distance difference (2.42%) and amounts of movement in lymphatic duct (2.3%). Conclusion: It was show that if same patients posed different feet position on the examination of 1 min, 1 hour and 2 hours after injection in the lymphoscintigraphy which is evaluating lymphatic flow of patients with lymphedema and analyzing amount of intake by lymphatic system, maximum error value represented 25.8% due to attenuation of soft tissue and bone, and PASW (Predictive Analytics Software) showed that fixed and unfixed feet position was different each other. And difference of distance between detector and feet and change of count values by difference of examination beginning time after injection influence on quantitative analysis results partially. Therefore, we'll make an effort to fix feet position and make the most of fixing board in lymphoscintigraphy with quantitative analysis.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.27-31
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• 2016

Purpose $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ renal scan is a test for the comparison of the function by imaging the parenchyma of the kidneys by the cortex of a kidney and by computing the intake ratio of radiation by the left and right kidney. Since the distance between the kidneys and the bladder is not far given the bodily structure of an infant, the bladder is included in the examination domain. Research was carried out with the presumption that counts of bladder would impart an influence on the kidneys at the time of this renal scan. In consideration of the special feature that only a trace amount of a RI is injected in a pediatric examination, research on the method of injection was also carried out concurrently. Materials and Methods With 34 infants aged between 1 month to 12 months for whom a $^{99m}Tc-DMSA$ renal scan was implemented on the subjects, a Post IMAGE was acquired in accordance with the test time after having injected the same quantity of DMSA of 0.5mCi. Then, after having acquired an additional image by shielding the bladder by using a circular lead plate for comparison purposes, a comparison was made by illustrating the percentile of (Lt. Kidney counts + Rt. Kidney counts)/ Total counts, by drawing the same sized ROI (length of 55.2mm X width of 70.0mm). In addition, in the format of a 3-way stopcock, a Heparin cap and direct injection into the patient were performed in accordance with RI injection methods. The differences in the count changes in accordance with each of the methods were compared by injecting an additional 2cc of saline into the 3-way stopcock and Heparin cap. Results The image prior to shielding of the bladder displayed a kidney intake rate with a deviation of $70.9{\pm}3.18%$ while the image after the shielding of the bladder displayed a kidney intake rate with a deviation of $79.4{\pm}5.19%$, thereby showing approximately 6.5~8.5% of difference. In terms of the injection method, the method that used the 3-way form, a deviation of $68.9{\pm}2.80%$ prior to the shielding and a deviation of $78.1{\pm}5.14%$ after the shielding were displayed. In the method of using a Heparin cap, a deviation of $71.3{\pm}5.14%$ prior to the shielding and a deviation of $79.8{\pm}3.26%$ after the shielding were displayed. Lastly, in the method of direct injection into the patient, a deviation of $75.1{\pm}4.30%$ prior to the shielding and a deviation of $82.1{\pm}2.35%$ after the shielding were displayed, thereby illustrating differences in the kidney intake rates in the order of direct injection, a Heparin cap and the 3-way methods. Conclusion Since a substantially minute quantity of radiopharmaceuticals is injected for infants in comparison to adults, the cases of having shielded the bladder by removing radiation of the bladder displayed kidney intake rates that are improved from those of the cases of not having shielded the bladder. Although there are difficulties in securing blood vessels, it is deemed that the method of direct injection would be more helpful in acquisition of better images since it displays improved kidney intake rate in comparison to other methods.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2002.05b
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• pp.106.2-132
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• 2002

형질전환 (유전자 결핍; Knockout) Min 마우스를 이용하여 대장암 발생에서 배추, 양배추 주성분인 indole-3-carbinol (I3C)의 대장암 예방효과를 규명하고자 하였다. 실험동물로는 C57BL/6J-Apc$^{min/+}$(Min 마우스)계의 5내지 6주령의 수컷 이형접합체 형질전환 마우스 70마리와 C57BL/6J계의 동일 산자, 동일 주령의 수컷 wildtype 비형질전환 마우스 10kfl를 The Jackson Laboratory 사 (Bar harber, ME, USA)로부터 직접 구입하였다. C57BL/6J-Apc$^{min/+}$계 수컷 이형접합체 형질전환 (Min)마우스 70마리를 각 군 20내지 25마리씩 세군으로 나누었다. Group 1에는 20마리, Group 2에는 25마리, Group 3에는 25마리를 배치하고, I3C 투여 실험군 (Group 1과 2)에는 실험시작시에 AIN-76A 분말사료에 I3C가 각각 100 및 300ppm이 함유되도록 조제하여 공급하였다. 그리고 실험군(Group 3)에는 실험시작부터 종료시까지 AIN-76A 정제고형사료(Teklad사, WI, USA)를 자유로이 급이하였다. 각군간의 체중, 사료 및 음수소비량을 매 2주마다 측정하였고, 10주간 (16주령)의 실험종료시에는 최종체중과 간장, 신장, 비장 등의 장기무게를 측정하여 상대장기 무게비를 산출하였다. 대조군으로서 C57BL/6J계의 동일 산자, 동일 주령의 수컷 wildtype 비형질전환 마우스 10마리는 같은 조건의 사육실에서 AIN-76A 정제고형사료를 33주간 자유로이 급이하였다. 실험동물은 부검전에 하룻밤 동안 절식하고 이산화탄소 흡입 마취하에서 흉대동맥을 절단하여 방혈하고 각 장기(심장, 폐, 위)를 적출하여 생리심염수에 넣어 장기무게를 측정하고 포르말린에 고정하였다. 소장과 대장의 검사를 위하여 위의 식도부위와 직장을 실로 결찰하여 적출하고 생리심염수를 주입하여 팽창시켜, 십이지장, 공장, 및 회장, 그리고 대장으로 나누어 여과지에 펼친 후 포르말린에 고정하였다. 소장과 대장은 육안 및 자동 영상분석길ㄹ 이용한 분석이 끝난 후에 각 부위별로 4-6개의 절편을 작제하여 포르말린에 재고정하고, 통상적인 조직처리과정, 파리핀 포매 및 3-4$\mu$m 두께의 조직절편을 제작하여 H&E 염색을 실시하여 현미경으로 검경하였다. 약 1주일간의 포르말린 고정이 끝난 소장 및 대장을 부위별, 별 종양개수 및 분포를 자동영상분석기(Kontron Co. Ltd., Germany)로 분석하였다. 체의 변화, 장기무게, 사료소비량 및 마리당 종양의 개수에 대한 통계학적 유의성 검증을 위하여 Duncan's t-test로 통계처리 하였고, 종양 발생빈도에 대하여는 Likelihood ration Chi-square test로 유의성을 검증하였다. C57BL/6J-Apc$^{min/+}$계 수컷 이형접합체 형질전환 마우스에 AIN-76A 정제사료만을 투여한 대조군의 대장선종의 발생률은 84%(Group 3; 21/25례)로써 I3C 100ppm 및 300ppm을 투여한 경우에 있어서는 각군 모두 60%(Group 1; 12/20 례, Group 2; 15/25 례)로 감소하는 경향을 나타내었다. 대장선종의 마리당 발생개수에 있어서는 C57BL/6J-Apc$^{min/+}$계 수컷 이형접합체 형질전환 마우스에 AIN-76A 정제사료만을 투여한 대조군은 1.40$\pm$0.24(100%)에 비하여 I3C 저농도 투여 실험군(Group 1; 0.85$\pm$0.23; 61%, P<0.01), 그리고 I3C 고농도 투여 실험군(Group 2 ; 1.32$\pm$0.29 ; 94%)의 순으로 감소하였다. 선종의 크기별 종양의 발생개수의 분포에 있어서 I3C 저농도 투여 실험군에 있어서는 선종의 크기가 3mm이하의 수가 현저하게 감소하였다. C57BL/6J-Apc$^{min/+}$계 수컷 이형접합체 형질전환 마우스에 AIN-76A 정제사료만을 투여한 대조군의 부위별 소장선종의 발생수는 십이지장부위를 제외하고 각 군에서 유의한 변화는 관찰되지 않았다. 십이지장 종양의 발생개수에서만 I3C 저농도 투여 실험군(Group 1 ; 3.11$\pm$0.85)이 대조군 (Group 3: 1.48$\pm$0.35) 및 I3C 고농도 투여 실험군(Group 2: 1.56$\pm$0.47)에 비하여 유의성 있게 증가하였다. (P<0.05). 따라서 I3C은 소장에서는 암예방 효과가 뚜렷하지 않으나, 대장에 대한 암에방 효과가 있을 것으로 생각된다. 소장 및 대장을 제외한 간장, 신장, 비장, 심장, 폐 그리고 위 등의 기타 장기에서의 조직병리학적 변화는 관찰되지 않았다. 소장 및 대장의 종양은 선종(polyps)으로 관찰되었다. 지난 10여년간 형질전환 및 유전자 결핍 실험동물의 종류가 기하 급수적으로 증가하여 이용되고 있다. 가족성 대장 선종성 용종증(FAP)의 대표적인 모델로 이용되고 있는 C57BL/6J-Apc$^{min/+}$계 수컷 이형접합체 형질전환 마우스를 사용하여 배추나 양배추의 주요성분인 Indole-3-carbinol(I3C)의 대장암 예방효과가 있는지를 검색하여 본 결과 AIN-76A정제사료만을 투여한 대조군의 대장선종의 발생률 84%에 비하여 I3C 100 및 300ppm을 투여한 실험군에 있어서 각군 모두 60%로서 감소하는 경향을 나타내었으며, 대장선종의 마리당 발생개수에 있어서는 대조군의 1.40$\pm$1.041를 100%로 환산하였을 경우 I3C 저농도 및 고농도 투여 실험군에서는 각각 약 61%와 94%를 나타내여 감소하였다. 특히 대장선종의 크기별 분포에 있어서 선종의 크기가 3mm이하의 수가 현저하게 감소하였다. 따라서 저농도 I3C의 투여는 실험적 유전성 가족성 대장 선종성 용종증 모델에 있어서 어느정도 암 예방효과가 있는 것으로 생각된다. 그러나 소장 선종의 발생에는 별 영향이 없는 것으로 생각된다. 그러나 본 실험에 사용된 C57BL/6J-Apc$^{min/+}$계 수컷 이형접합체 형질전환 마우스는 실험개시 시점이 7내지 8주령이 경과하여 이미 태생기부터 소장 및 대장의 선종 발생이 진행되어 온 것을 감안하고 특히 비스테로이드계 항염증 소염제(NSAIDS)와 같은 강력한 COX-2억제제가 아님을 고려하면, 상당한 선종의 발생을 억제할 수 있는 가능성이 매우 높다고 생각한다. 또한 이제까지 배추나 양배추 성분의 복합성분들에 대한 실험적 대장암 모델에서의 촉진효과 등에 대한 보고들이 있어 온 점을 고려할 때 위암(Kim 등, 1994) 간암(Kim 등, 1994), 유방암(Grubbs, 등, 1995; Bradlow 등, 1995)에 대한 예방효과가 있을 것으로 생각된다. 앞으로 이러한 종양조직내에서의 COX-2 및 iNOS mRNA와 단백질의 발현정도를 분자병리학적으로 연구중에 있으며, 향후 십자화과식물 성분인 indole-3-carbinol이 마우스뿐 만 아니라 랫드의 화학발암물질에 의한 대장종양에 대한 억제효과 있는지 연구 필요가 있다. Min 마우스와 같은 형질 전환(유전자결핍;knockout) 실험동물을 이용한 새로운 중기 발암성 시험범의 확립을 통한 각종 환경 유해물질의 발암성 유무 및 COX-2 억제작용이 있는 식품인자의 암예방 후보물질을 체계적으로 검색하는데 유용하게 활용될 수 있을 것으로 생각한다.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.99-113
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• 2002

For this study a sample of 205 people, 66 males and 139 females, over 65 years of age, residing in C-gu of S-si and utilizing senior centers, were selected, The objective of the study was to provide basic data for health promotion program development provided by health centers. A questionnaire was used to collect date on general characteristics, health status, social health status and utilization rate for health services. The instruments used in this study were the Lawton scale, to measure daily routine function, the MMSE-K developed by Folstein and modified to fit the Korea situation, for mental health status, and the CES-Dtool developed by Radloff, for emotional health status. the SPSS Window program was used to calculate percentages. Tests of significance were done using t-test and ANOVA. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify variables influencing the use of health services. The results are as follows : Of those utilizing senior citizen centers, 40.9% of males and 17.3% of the female thought they were healthy. The average score for IADL was 7.4. The daily routine of female respondents consisted of buying household articles and drugs, and other IADLs such as riding the bus or subway alone. These resulted in a higher score compared to males. For emotional health, 7.6% of the males reported depression compared to 21.6% of the females. For mental health, 48.5% of the males and 28.8% of the females were found to be in the group suspicious for dementia. On social health, 57.6% of the males and 62.6% of the females reported no intimate human relations. Of those older people who had close human relations, 52.5% of the males indicated a friend as the closest person and 53.8% of the females, their children. On use of health services, there was a significantly higher need for mobile medical care services treatment for those with lower education levels and status of window/widower. There was a significantly higher need for health exmination services for those with lower levels of exercise, greater satisfaction with sleep, higher levels of oral health care, and higher social contacts. In conclusion, there is a need to provide varied programs for the promotion of health, along with parallel resolution of social, psychological and economic issues. It is recommended that health services for elderly people provided by the health centers be implemented with full recognition of these characteristics and differences.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.1-10
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• 2013

RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) system is non-contact identification technology. A basic RFID system consists of a reader, and a set of tags. RFID tags can be divided into active and passive tags. Active tags with power source allows their own operation execution and passive tags are small and low-cost. So passive tags are more suitable for distribution industry than active tags. A reader processes the information receiving from tags. RFID system achieves a fast identification of multiple tags using radio frequency. RFID systems has been applied into a variety of fields such as distribution, logistics, transportation, inventory management, access control, finance and etc. To encourage the introduction of RFID systems, several problems (price, size, power consumption, security) should be resolved. In this paper, we proposed an algorithm to significantly alleviate the collision problem caused by simultaneous responses of multiple tags. In the RFID systems, in anti-collision schemes, there are three methods: probabilistic, deterministic, and hybrid. In this paper, we introduce ALOHA-based protocol as a probabilistic method, and Tree-based protocol as a deterministic one. In Aloha-based protocols, time is divided into multiple slots. Tags randomly select their own IDs and transmit it. But Aloha-based protocol cannot guarantee that all tags are identified because they are probabilistic methods. In contrast, Tree-based protocols guarantee that a reader identifies all tags within the transmission range of the reader. In Tree-based protocols, a reader sends a query, and tags respond it with their own IDs. When a reader sends a query and two or more tags respond, a collision occurs. Then the reader makes and sends a new query. Frequent collisions make the identification performance degrade. Therefore, to identify tags quickly, it is necessary to reduce collisions efficiently. Each RFID tag has an ID of 96bit EPC(Electronic Product Code). The tags in a company or manufacturer have similar tag IDs with the same prefix. Unnecessary collisions occur while identifying multiple tags using Query Tree protocol. It results in growth of query-responses and idle time, which the identification time significantly increases. To solve this problem, Collision Tree protocol and M-ary Query Tree protocol have been proposed. However, in Collision Tree protocol and Query Tree protocol, only one bit is identified during one query-response. And, when similar tag IDs exist, M-ary Query Tree Protocol generates unnecessary query-responses. In this paper, we propose Adaptive M-ary Query Tree protocol that improves the identification performance using m-bit recognition, collision information of tag IDs, and prediction technique. We compare our proposed scheme with other Tree-based protocols under the same conditions. We show that our proposed scheme outperforms others in terms of identification time and identification efficiency.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.207-221
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• 2012

Air temperature in Korea has increased by $1.5^{\circ}C$ over the last 100 years, which is nearly twice the global average rate during the same period. Moreover, it is projected that such change in temperature will continue in the 21st century. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impacts of future climate change on the rice production and adaptation methods in Korea. Climate data for the baseline (1971~2000) and the three future climate (2011~2040, 2041~2070, and 2071~2100) at fifty six sites in South Korea under IPCC SRES A1B scenario were used as the input to the rice crop model ORYZA2000. Six experimental schemes were carried out to evaluate the combined effects of climatic warming, $CO_2$ fertilization, and cropping season on rice production. We found that the average production in 2071~2100 would decrease by 23%, 27%, and 29% for early, middle, and middle-late rice maturing type, respectively, when cropping seasons were fixed. In contrast, predicted yield reduction was ~0%, 6%, and 7%, for early, middle, and middle-late rice maturing type, respectively, when cropping seasons were changed. Analysis of variation suggested that climatic warming, $CO_2$ fertilization, cropping season, and rice maturing type contributed 60, 10, 12, and 2% of rice yield, respectively. In addition, regression analysis suggested 14~46 and 53~86% of variations in rice yield were explained by grain number and filled grain ratio, respectively, when cropping season was fixed. On the other hand, 46~78 and 22~53% of variations were explained respectively with changing cropping season. It was projected that sterility caused by high temperature would have no effect on rice yield. As a result, rice yield reduction in the future climate in Korea would resulted from low filled grain ratio due to high growing temperature during grain-filling period because the $CO_2$ fertilization was insufficient to negate the negative effect of climatic warming. However, adjusting cropping seasons to future climate change may alleviate the rice production reduction by minimizing negative effect of climatic warming without altering positive effect of $CO_2$ fertilization, which improves weather condition during the grain-filling period.

• The Journal of Korean Academy of Prosthodontics
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.148-156
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• 2008

Statement of problems: Self-etch adhesives exhibit some clinical benefits such as ease of manipulation and reduced technique-sensitivity. Nevertheless, some concern remains regarding the bonding effectiveness of self-etch adhesives to enamel, in particular when so-called 'mild' self-etch adhesives are employed. This study compared the microtensile bond strengths to ground enamel of the two-step self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond (Kuraray) to the three-step etch-and- rinse adhesive Scotchbond Multi-Purpose (3M ESPE) and the one-step self-etch adhesive iBond (Heraeus Kulzer). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a preceding phosphoric acid conditioning step on the bonding effectiveness of a two-step self-etch adhesive to ground enamel. Material and methods: The two-step self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond non-etch group, Clearfil SE Bond etch group with prior 35% phosphoric acid etching, and the one-step self-etch adhesive iBond group were used as experimental groups. The three-step etch-and-rinse adhesive Scotchbond Multi-Purpose was used as a control group. The facial surfaces of bovine incisors were divided in four equal parts cruciformly, and randomly distributed into each group. The facial surface of each incisor was ground with 800-grit silicon carbide paper. Each adhesive group was applied according to the manufacturer's instructions to ground enamel, after which the surface was built up using Light-Core (Bisco). After storage in distilled water at $37^{\circ}C$ for 1 week, the restored teeth were sectioned into enamel beams approximately 0.8*0.8mm in cross section using a low speed precision diamond saw (TOPMET Metsaw-LS). After storage in distilled water at $37^{\circ}C$ for 1 month, 3 months, microtensile bond strength evaluations were performed using microspecimens. The microtensile bond strength (MPa) was derived by dividing the imposed force (N) at time of fracture by the bond area ($mm^2$). The mode of failure at the interface was determined with a microscope (Microscope-B nocular, Nikon). The data of microtensile bond strength were statistically analyzed using a one-way ANOVA, followed by Least Significant Difference Post Hoc Test at a significance level of 5%. Results: The mean microtensile bond strength after 1 month of storage showed no statistically significant difference between all adhesive groups (P>0.05). After 3 months of storage, adhesion to ground enamel of iBond was not significantly different from Clearfil SE Bond etch (P>>0.05), while Clearfil SE Bond non-etch and Scotchbond Multi-Purpose demonstrated significantly lower bond strengths (P<0.05), with no significant differences between the two adhesives. Conclusion: In this study the microtensile bond strength to ground enamel of two-step self-etch adhesive Clearfil SE Bond was not significantly different from three-step etch-and-rinse adhesive Scotchbond Multi-Purpose, and prior etching with 35% phosphoric acid significantly increased the bonding effectiveness of Clearfil SE Bond to enamel at 3 months.