• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.570-578
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• 2003

Background : Ambient particles during Asian dust events are usually sized less than $10{\mu}m$, known to be associated with the adverse effects on the general populations. But, there has been no considerable evidence linking these particles to the adverse effects on airways. The objectives of this study was to investigate the possible adverse effects of Asian dust events on respiratory function and symptoms in subjects with bronchial asthma. Patients and Methods : From march to June 2002, Asthmatic patients who were diagnosed with bronchial challenge test or bronchodilator response were enrolled. We divided them into three groups; mild, moderate, and severe, according to the severity. Subjects with other organ insufficiency such as heart, kidney, liver, and malignancy were excluded. All patients completed twice daily diaries and recorded peak flow rate, respiratory symptom, and daily activity. Daily and hourly mean pollutant levels of particulate matter < $10{\mu}m$ in diameter($PM_{10}$), nitrogen dioxide($NO_2$), sulphur dioxide($SO_2$), ozone($O_3$) and carbon monoxide(CO) were measured at the 10 different monitoring sites. Results : Dust events occured 14 times during the study period. Daily averages of 4 air pollutant were measured with an increased level of $PM_{10}$, decreased level of $NO_2$ and $SO_2$, and no change in CO during dust days compared to those during control days. An increase in $PM_{10}$ concentration was associated with an increase of subjects with PEF variability of >20% (p<0.05), night time symptom(p<0.05), and a decrease in mean PEF (p<0.05), which were calculated by the longitudinal data analysis. Otherwise, there was no association between $PM_{10}$ level and bronchodialtor inhaler, and daytime respiratory symptoms. Conclusion : This study shows evidence that ambient air pollution, especially $PM_{10}$, during Asian dust events, could be one of the many aggravating factors at least in patients with airway diseases. This data can be used as a primary source to set up a new policy on air environmental control and to evaluate the safety of air pollution index. We also expect that this research will help identify precise components of dust, which are more linked to the adverse effects.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2016

Globally, there are more than 2600 species of termites which adapted plenty of terrestrial ecosystems by various strategies such as making termite nest and society. Various studies were recently carried out on termites because they play significant roles in the context of carbon (C) cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. According to the results of previous studies, termite activities influenced the amount of soil organic C, methane emission, and organic matter decomposition. Termite nests, where termite biomass was concentrated, exhibited 1.8 times higher soil organic C concentration than reference soils, and emitted $0.0-6.0kg\;ha^{-1}year^{-1}$ of methane in tropical forests and savannas. Feeding activity of termites, in addition, accelerated coarse woody debris (CWD) decomposition by increasing the surface area to volume ratio of CWD. Especially, CWD decomposition induced by the Rhinotermitidae family appeared to be significant for the C cycle in temperate forests. However, more studies should be conducted on termite-induced CWD decomposition in temperate forests because few studies have dealt with it. The termite-induced CWD decomposition could be measured by preparing disc-shaped CWD samples, excluding access of termites to the CWD samples, and comparing the decomposition rate of the CWD samples with and without the termite exclusion treatment. Studies on the termite-induced CWD decomposition would contribute to further elucidation of the C cycle in temperate forests.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2009

A non-discharged system of sequentially physico-chemical water treatment was used to treat the contaminated water produced from washing system of soils according to full-scale soil washing. After washing the TPH contaminated soils, the remaining concentrations of COD$_{Mn}$, SS, and n-hexane were analyzed for each compartment to estimate the treatment efficiencies of non-discharged system. Three times of sampling events were conducted for 4 different compartments (sediment tank, flocculation tank, oil/water separator, and process-water tank). In addition, soil washing efficiencies and concentrations of each parameter (COD$_{Mn}$, SS, and n-hexane) for process-water tank were analyzed for about 8 months. As results, the average efficiency of soil washing was high to have 95.9%, regardless of the condition of TPH contamination level for soils, as well as the concentrations of COD$_{Mn}$, SS, and n-hexane in the process-water tank were below the regulation limits of the Water Environmental Conserveation Act. Accordingly, the full-scale washing treatment system in this study could make the washing water 100% recycled which lead the system to be environmentally-friendly and economical.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.349-358
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• 2010

This study was carried out to investigate the optimum condition for sap exudation of Acer mono Max. tree in a site of Mt. Jiri, Hamyang-gun, Korea. Amount of sap exudation, air temperature, relative air humidity, tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and sugar content in sap were monitored during the early springtime, and correlation analysis of several factors was carried out to explain tree-to-tree and date-to-date variations in sap exudation. The correlation, linearlyassociated between DBH and sap amount, was strengthened as daily amount of sap increased, but there was no significant tree-to-tree variation in time and period for sap exudation. When amount of sap exudation was above 10 liter/day, the mean air-temperature was averaged at $1.2{\pm}1.6^{\circ}C$, the minimum at $-4.3{\pm}1.5^{\circ}C$ and the maximum at $11.8{\pm}1.9^{\circ}C$. The maximum air temperature and mean air temperature were significant (p < 0.05) factors for amount of sap in correlation analysis to explain date-to-date variation in sap exudation. Sucrose content in sap was in the range of 1.5 and 1.7% during exudation days, but sharply reduced to 0.6% level at the end of exudation period.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.82-89
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• 2015

In this study, the characteristics of sea ice initial conditions generated from a global ocean and sea ice prediction system, the Nucleus for European Modeling of the Ocean (NEMO) - Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE)/NEMOVAR were analyzed for the period June 2013 to May 2014 over the Arctic region. For the purpose, the observed and reanalyzed data were used to compare with the sea ice initial conditions. Results indicated that the variability of the monthly sea ice extent and thickness in model initial conditions were well represented as compared to the observation, while it was found that the extent and thickness of Arctic sea ice in initial data were narrower and thinner than those in reanalysis and observation for the period. The reason for the narrower sea ice extent in model initial conditions seems to be due to the fact that the initial sea ice concentration at the boundary area of sea ice was about 20 percent less than the reanalysis data. Also, the reason for the thinner sea-ice thickness in the Arctic region is due to the underestimation of Arctic sea ice thickness (about 60 cm) of the model initial conditions in the Arctic Ocean area adjacent to Greenland and Arctic archipelago where thick sea ice appears all the year round.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.38 no.9
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• pp.1027-1031
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• 2014

Free cooling system is used to reduce energy consumption of cooling system. Free cooling system is consisted of cooling group and dry-cooler in which heat exchange of chilled water and out air is conducted. Although this system has an excellent energy saving effect in place having cooling load regularly, data or material of design for free cooling system is lacked. In this study, characteristics analysis of free cooling system is conducted through software HYSYS with changing some facts. The main result is following as : Dry-cooler capacity is influenced by out air temperature, required chilled water temperature and LMTD(Logarithmic Mean Temperature Difference) of heat exchanger. As out air temperature is more low, dry-cooler capacity become increased. in addition, as required chilled water temperature is more high and LMTD is more low, the out air temperature range is widened for using dry-cooler. If out air temperature is below $0^{\circ}C$, antifreeze need to be used because freeze and burst can be occurred. In case of South Korea, antifreeze of 34% of ethylene glycol concentration is proper. When compressor load of R22, R134a and R407C is compared, considering environmental regulation and energy consumption, R134a is best working fluid.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 2001

The purpose of this review is to discuss the debate concerning the interpretation of epidemiologic studies on particles and health effects. Study of the 1952 air pollution disaster in London established that very high levels of particulate-based smog can cause dramatic increases in daily mortality. However, recent epidemiologic studies have reported statistically significant health effects and mortality due to low levels of air pollution. The statistical significance does not prove causation in observational studies; therefore it is necessary to evaluate these associations. There are arguments for and against each of the numerous studies using Hill's criteria, however the body of accepted evidence supports the causal association. In particular, a high level of consistency in the estimated effect of PM10 has been observed across studies worldwide. The mechanism of the relationship between air pollution and health effects is not obvious. The mechanism of particle-induced injury may involve the production of an inflammatory response by the particulate. The harvesting and the threshold effect are also major concerns regarding the health effects of air pollution. However, current epidemiologic findings indicate that linear models lacking a threshold are appropriate for assessing the effect of particulate air pollution on daily mortality even at current levels.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.25 no.2 s.38
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• pp.148-156
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• 1992

A case-control study was conducted to investigate the relationship between blood cadmium, blood zinc and cadmium/zinc ratio and hypertension. Eighty-three hypertensive and seventy-seven normotensive study subjects matched for age and sex were selected from the workers who had no history of job-related cadmium exposure, in Ulsan city and it's vincinity, Korea. The blood cadmium in hypertensive group was $2.90{\eta}g/mL$, which was significantly higher than that of control group, $1.99{\eta}g/mL$(P<0.01). After stratifing for smoking and age variables, the relationship was still remained. The blood cadmium/zinc ratio in hypertensive group was 2.46, which was significantly higher than that of control group, 1.65(P<0.01), After stratifing for smoking and age variables, the relationship was still remained. There was no significant differance in blood zinc between hypertensive and control group. On multiple logistic regression analysis, the blood cadmium/zinc ratio is highly significant than blood cadmium. In conclusion, there is the possible relationship between blood cadmium level which has been known to be within normal limits and hypertension. But, futrher cohort studies to define the effect of cadmium on human hypertension are required.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2004

'Hongro' is one of the most important apple cultivars whose growing area is increasing because of its good quality. Recently fruit shrinking symptom causing decrease of fruit size, juice, and quality, appears in some commercial 'Hongro' orchards. The average frequency of occurrence of fruit shrinking symptom was 12 % of total trees investigated and Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) was detected from all the trees showing fruit shrinking symptom by ELISA. A typical virus infection symptom of leaf epinasty and stem necrosis appeared on woody indicators, Spy227 and Virginia crab grafted with infected trees and all the grafted trees showed positive reaction to ACLSV antiserum by ELISA. It was proved that ACLSV can be easily transmitted by grafting. ACLSV was also isolated from the leaves of C. quinoa inoculated with sprouting leaf sap of infected trees. To prove that the fruit shrinking symptom was caused by ACLSV infection, ACLSV-infected scion was grafted on virus-free 'Hongro/M9' and the fruit characteristics were investigated. Consequently the same symptoms of fruit size and juice decreasing were observed from the trees grafted with ACLSV-infected scion. Therefore, it is suggested that the fruit shrinking symptom is caused by ACLSV infection and 'Hongro' can be classified as sensitive cultivar to ACLSV.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.116-124
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• 2010

While groundwater is the major source for drinking and irrigation purposes, arsenic (As) contamination of groundwater is a serious issue in Bangladesh. With a view to reduce As contamination in drinking water the guideline value recommended for Bangladesh is 0.05 mg/L. We assessed groundwater As in an As-affected Sadar Upazilla (small administrative unit) in the District (administrative unit) of Chapai Nabwabganj during 2006, where 50% hand tube well water were above the recommended limit (0.05 mg/L) during dry season. Almost 20% tube well waters were above the recommended limit during rainy season, perhaps due to the dilution of water table. The groundwater in Bangladesh contaminates surface soils and plants thereby As entering the food chain. In 2005, we examined the As levels in different rice varieties grown in different Districts of Bangladesh and the As concentrations in rice grain ranged from 0.07~1.12 mg/kg while the concentrations in 3 rice varieties were above the recommended limit (1 mg/kg rice grain) and the maximum concentration was 1.12 mg/kg rice grain in the rice variety BR 11. With few exceptions, the As content of rice grain in Bangladesh is not considered to be concentration of greater health concern as yet. We also observed enhanced root uptake, efficient root-to shoot translocation, and a much elevated tolerance through internal detoxification all contribute to As hyperaccumulation in a plant, ladder brake fern (Pteris vittata L.). But the phytoremediation technique might not be an appropriate tool to reduce the As calamity in the vast areas of Bangladesh. To mitigate the As problem of Bangladesh, better coordination among governmental agencies and many other organizations will be required to combat the disaster.