• PNF and Movement
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.43-54
• /
• 2024

Purpose: Falls among persons older than 65 years are a significant concern due to their frequency and severity. This study aimed to develop a vest-type embedded artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of detecting and predicting falls in various scenarios. Methods: In this study, we established and developed a vest-type embedded AI system to judge and predict falls in various directions and situations. To train the AI, we collected data using acceleration and gyroscope values from a six-axis sensor attached to the seventh cervical and the second sacral vertebrae of the user, considering accurate motion analysis of the human body. The model was constructed using a neural network-based AI prediction algorithm to anticipate the direction of falls using the collected pedestrian data. Results: We focused on developing a lightweight and efficient fall prediction model for integration into an embedded AI algorithm system, ensuring real-time network optimization. Our results showed that the accuracy of fall occurrence and direction prediction using the trained fall prediction model was 89.0% and 78.8%, respectively. Furthermore, the fall occurrence and direction prediction accuracy of the model quantized for embedded porting was 87.0 % and 75.5 %, respectively. Conclusion: The developed fall detection and prediction system, designed as a vest-type with an embedded AI algorithm, offers the potential to provide real-time feedback to pedestrians in clinical settings and proactively prepare for accidents.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
• /
• v.49 no.3
• /
• pp.141-150
• /
• 2024

Background: Computed tomography (CT) scans in the Republic of Korea have spiked, reaching approximately 9 million examinations annually in 2017. CT provides significant medical benefits, but radiation exposure remains a concern. This study aims to analyze CT scans in Korea, as a basis study for radiation safety management. Materials and Methods: The raw data of total CT scans was obtained from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service and analyzed by CT scan type, patients' age and sex, and medical facility type. CT scans trends were analyzed considering the disease incidence. Results and Discussion: In 2017, CT scans accounted for 8,977,300. Usage per capita was 0.18 in males and 0.17 in females. CT scans increased with age until the 50- to 59-year-old groups, then decreased. CT scans were high in abdominal/pelvic (35%), chest (26%), and head (22%) regions due to higher disease rates. Head CT was most frequently used for infants and children. Abdominal/pelvic, chest, and spine CT were more frequent for older groups. The CT scans in the upper and lower extremities was high in child and juvenile groups. Chest and abdominal/pelvic CTs were higher in males, whereas spine, whole spine, and CT densitometry were higher in females. The proportion of CT scans of tertiary and general hospitals, hospitals, and clinics accounted for ≥80%, 13%, and 5%, respectively. Abdomen/pelvis, chest, and head/neck CTs were mostly conducted in tertiary and general hospitals, spine CT in hospitals and clinics, extremity CT in hospitals, and CT densitometry in clinics. Conclusion: The trend of CT scans varied based on the incidence rate for each patient's sex and age, and serious illness diagnosis by medical facility type. The results of this study provide data and guidance for evaluating the radiation exposure of the Korean population by CT and developing management policies for medical radiation safety.

• Journal of Science Education
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.271-289
• /
• 2009

The purpose of the research was to analyze the characteristics and the process elements which appeared to the process of designing experiment for biologists and gifted students in science. Four biologists and thirty-two gifted students were participated in this study. The findings indicated that (a) the researcher figured out the process elements could constructed in fifteen elements such as confirming questions, arrange materials, consideration for experimental subjects, searching variables, eliminating variables, selecting variables, planning operation of variables, planning control environmental variables, planning control biological variables, planning the methods of observation and assessment, planning the methods of collecting data, planning the interpretation of data, planning the repetition of experiments, planning the repetition of assessment, safety regulations as well. The biologists concentrated in the particular process elements related with variables, since the science-gifted students concerned the performance whole process elements themselves without deeper consideration, (b) the characteristics of biologists and science-gifted students in the process of designing experiment were as follows; 1) biologists and students showed the process elements which include the domain specific process skills as well, 2) biologists accurately conducted the designing experiments processes with repetition of specific process, since students designed experiments conventionally, and 3) biologists possessed the domain specific skills and know-how about their experiments, but students did not. The results show that the programs of designing experiment activity should be constructed with the process elements which were concentrated by biologists, should provide feedbacks to design experiment more accurately, and should be developed with concern of the process skills and know-hows of biologists.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.41 no.6
• /
• pp.397-404
• /
• 2015

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate microbial contamination in the school food service environment for the assessment of microbial food safety. Methods: We collected both swab samples from tables and desks and airborne bacterial samples from an elementary school (School A) and a high school (School B). Heterotrophic plate count, total coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus were measured with selective media to quantify microbial concentration. PCR assay targeting 16S rRNA genes was performed to identify the strains of S. aureus and B. cereus isolated. In addition, we made a food service checklist for the locations to evaluate the food service environment. A Wilcoxon test was employed to examine the differences in microbial concentration between before lunchtime and afterwards. Results: Heterotrophic plate counts showed higher levels after-lunch compared to before-lunch at School B. However, levels of S. aureus were higher in the after-lunch period (p<0.05) in both classrooms and in the cafeteria in School A. B. cereus was only sparsely detected in School B. Several samples from food dining carts were found to be contaminated with bacteria, and facilities associated with food delivery were found to be vulnerable to bacterial contamination. Although microbial concentrations in the air showed little difference between before- and after-lunchtime in the cafeteria in School A, those in classrooms were greater after-lunchtime at both schools. Conclusion: Our results suggested that the microbial safety in schools after lunchtime of concern. Necessary preventive measures such as hygiene education for students and food handlers should be required to minimize microbial contamination during food service processes in schools.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
• /
• v.35 no.4
• /
• pp.291-298
• /
• 2008

Methylmercury, an organic derivative, is the principal form of mercury that biomagnifies and causes neurodegenerative symptoms in animals. In recent years, living modified organism (LMO) resulting from biotechnology has played a highly visible and controversial role. Despite the potential benefits of this technology, public concerns have been raised about the environmental risk of LMO. The concern on the risk from LMO release has urged efforts to evaluate and manage the risks of the LMO. To build up the capacity building of risk assessment method for LMO used environmental remediation, we engineered Solanum nigrum L, expressing the modified bacterial gene, merB, encoding organomercurial lyase. Two independently isolated transgenic lines produced merB RNA. Transgenic Solanum nigrum leaf discs expressing merB gene showed organic mercury resistance, forming shoots well on growth medium containing $0.5{\mu}M$ methylmercury (II) chloride and $1{\mu}M$ phenylmercuric acetate while control plants breached. Transgenic merB seeds germinated and grew on growth medium containing $2{\mu}M$ methylmercury (II) chloride and phenylmercuric acetate. The merB transgenic plants will be used for risk assessment of natural environment.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2009

In 2008, baby formula containing melamine was found to be responsible for a large outbreak of renal failure in infants in China. A total of 294,000 infants were hospitalized, and at least 6 babies died due to ingestion of the tainted formula. Melamine contains high levels of nitrogen (>60%), which is used as an indicator of protein content. Therefore, high levels of melamine in infant formula were thought to be the result of deliberate contamination m an attempt to increase its apparent protein content. Following inspections by China's national inspection agency, assorted products from at least 22 dairy manufacturers across China were found to have varied levels of melamine (range: 0.096196.61 mg/kg). Melamine co-exposure with cyanuric acid can induce acute melamine-cyanurate crystal nephropathy, which can lead to renal failure at much lower doses than if either compound were ingested alone. However, currently, there are very few data on melamine analogues other than cyanuric acid. At an expert meeting of the WHO and FAO held to review toxicological aspects of melamine and cyanuric acid on December 14, 2008, a new tolerable daily intake (TDI) of melamine was established that could be applied to the entire population, including infants. Therefore, a risk assessment of the various theoretical melamine contamination levels in infant formula and selected representative foods (other than infant formula and sole-source nutrition products) is urgently needed for Korean babies and children up to 7 years of age. Although the undetectable level regulation for infant formula may be low enough to guarantee the safety of babies under the age of 1 year (including premature babies), the melamine standard of 2.5 ppm for foods other than baby formula could be insufficient to protect the 95th percentile population aged 1~2 years because of this demographic's high consumption of milk, yogurt, and soy milk (hazard index = 1.79). Because TDIs are chronic values intended to protect an individual over his/her lifetime, occasional modest ingestion in excess of the TDI is not likely to be a health concern. However, children aged 1~2 years may have renal systems that are comparatively more sensitive to the crystallization of melamine and its analogues. Therefore, governmental jurisdictions may need to practice more prudent management of food items that could raise the melamine exposure for this population.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.235-240
• /
• 2013

To analyze aflatoxin $M_1$ ($AFM_1$), we dissolved infant formula in warm water and cleaned it by using an immunoaffinity column (IAC). The amount of $AFM_1$ was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. $AFM_1$ was detected in 281 of 439 samples. Thus, the detection rate of $AFM_1$ was 64.0%. The average concentration of $AFM_1$ in positive samples was 2.6 ng/kg (of prepared formula). The estimated daily intake (EDI) of $AFM_1$ through infant formula was 0.087-0.646 ng/kg body weight/day and the additional number of cases of liver cancer associated with exposure to $AFM_1$ would be 0.003-0.020 cancer cases/1,000,000. Because there is less than 1 cancer case/1,000,000 per year, the exposure to $AFM_1$ through infant formula in Korea is considered to be an unlikely human health concern.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.252-271
• /
• 2020

In this study, we investigated physical and chemical properties such as grain size, heavy metal pollution, magnetic properties, and their environmental impacts of road dusts (RD) collected from 14 sampling points in Daebul industrial Complex. Heavy metal concentrations in RD were in the order of Fe>Zn>Cu>Pb>Cr>Ni>As>Cd>Hg, and this pollution pattern was related to major industries and traffic activities in this area. The results of the correlation analysis between heavy metal elements and particle size in RD showed that Fe and all of analyzed heavy metals had a significant correlation with each other and metal concentrations had a significantly negative correlation (p<0.05). However, due to the input of large metal particles some heavy metal concentrations in the particle fraction of >1000 ㎛ were highest. Pollution load per unit area of this fraction was the highest among the grain size fractions. Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb levels in RD decreased and the levels of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were reduced to 85 (As) -22 (Ni)% of the whole after removal of MFs fraction from RD. The mean heavy metal levels in the study area did not exceed the soil contamination guide value of Korea, indicating that heavy metal levels in RD were not a concern. However, at some sampling points, Zn concentrations were exceeded the soil contamination guide value for the 3rd areas of Korea and this result indicated that further studies of the impact of RD on the surrounding environment through re-suspension or non-point pollution, and of effective management methods are required.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.53-65
• /
• 2006

Topographic condition is one of the most important things in farming activities. The topographic condition didn't matter for farming in the past because agricultural products had competitive power in the market. So farmers tried to extend their farms without any concern of topographic condition. We need less labor-consuming farming as industrial structure has been changed and the competitive power of the farming has been getting weak. This study analyzed the fallow potential in agricultural area by topographic condition so that we have got results as follows. Maps of elevation, slope, distance from roads and water resources were made for getting a fallow probability model in farms, and these 4 factors were used as independent variables while a variable on whether it is fallow or not is a dependent variable in logistic regression model. In an analysis of the fallow potential depending on farm land types, the fallow probability in fallow orchard showed the highest value of farm lands, 0.973. Cultivated orchard had 0.730 and upland had 0.616 of the fallow probability. The fields having high fallow potential had high elevation, steep slope, and long distance from water resources and roads. Especially, fields having a probability over 0.99 appeared in orchards, fallow uplands and single cropping uplands, which were recognized to have several disadvantages related to the fallow like as high elevation, steep slope, and long distance from water resources and roads. With the logistic analysis, the suitable farm lands appeared at 16.45m of the mean elevation, 1.89 degree of the mean slope, 39.91m of the average distance from water resources, and 32.39m of the average distance from roads. On the contrary, non-suitable land appeared at 114.7m of the mean elevation, 24.9 degree of the mean slope. The distance from roads was more important variable than the distance from water resources for analyzing suitable farm land.

• Clean Technology
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.285-299
• /
• 2011

As one of the REACH obligations, the extended safety data sheet (eSDS) should be communicated within the supply chain under the REACH Regulation. Based on technical guidance documents published on the ECHAs website and survey of EU's recent REACH-related informations, this paper includes a study on details of how to develop exposure scenarios (ES) such as structure of ES, process of ES develpoment, standard workflows and key input data to develop ES with an introduction of eSDS concept. This paper also contains an overview on operational conditions (OCs) and risk management measures (RMMs) that are what to consider when building an ES. The structure of Chesar (Chemical Safety Assessment and Report tool) developed by European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is studied with a review of the available exposure estimation tools for workers, environment and consumers. Case example of generic exposure scenario (GES) for organic solvent is presented. To guide Korean EU-exporting companies, their participating roles in three steps of preparing ES are addressed.