• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2015.05a
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• pp.221-221
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• 2015

Sustainable use of water resource and conservation of water quality are essential problems in the world. Especially, problems of water quality are serious one for human health as well as ecological system of all creatures on the earth. Recently, the importance of total effluent load as well as the concentrations of pollutant materials has been recognized not only for the conservation of water quality but also for sustainable water use in watersheds. However, the measurement or estimation of total effluent load from non-point source area such as farm lands or forests may be more difficult because both of concentration and discharge of the water are greatly changed depending on various factors especially metrological conditions such as rainfall, while the measurement from a point source area may be easy because the concentration of pollutant materials and amount of discharge water are relatively steady. Therefore, the total effluent load from a non-point source is often estimated by statistical relationships between concentration and discharge, which is called as L-Q equation. However, a lot of work and time are required to collect and analyze water samples and to get the accurate relationship or regressive equation. So, we proposed a new system for direct measurement of total effluent load of water quality from non-point source areas to solve the problem. In this system, the overflow depth at a hydraulic weir is measured with a pressure gage every hourly interval to calculate the amount of hourly discharge at first. Then, the operating time of a small electric pump to collect an amount of water which is proportional to the discharge is calculated to intake the water into a storage tank. The stored water is taken out a few days later in a case of storm event or several weeks later in a case of non-rainfall event and the concentrations of water quality such as total nitrogen and phosphorous are analyzed in a laboratory. Finally, total load of the water quality can be calculated by multiplying the concentration by the total volume of discharge. The system was installed in a small experimental forestry watershed to check the performance and know the total load of water quality from the forest. It was found that the system to collect a proportional amount of water to actual discharge operated perfectly and a total load of water quality was analyzed accurately. As the result, it was expected that the system will be very available to know the total load from a non-point source area.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2023

Targeting Microcystin (MC), which is most abundantly detected in the North-Han River water area, we analyzed the relationship between the MC biosynthesis gene (mcyA gene), cyanobacteria cell density, and MC concentration, derived an RNA-MC conversion formula, and derived the cyanobacteria. The concentration of MC present in cells was predicted. In the North-Han River waters, the mcyA gene was found mainly at downstream sites of the North-Han River after Muk-Hyeon Stream junction, and higher copy numbers were found on average than other sites. In the Uiam Lake waters upstream of the North-Han River, the mcyA gene copy number increased at the Kong-Ji Stream point, and after September, the mcyA gene copy number decreased throughout the North-Han River waters. The expression of the mcyA gene was concentrated in the short period of summer due to the spatio-temporal difference between upstream and downstream water bodies. The mcyA gene expression level was not only highly correlated with MC concentration, but also correlated with the cell density of Microcystis aeruginosa and Dolichospermum circinale, which are known to biosynthesize MC. Six conversion formulas derived based on the RNA-MC relationship showed statistical significance (p<0.05) and exhibited high correlation coefficients (r) of 0.9 or higher. The expression level of MC biosynthesis gene present in eRNA determines the synthesis of cyanotoxin substances in water, quickly quantifies gene activity, and can be fully utilized for early warning of MC development.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.319-346
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• 2006

This study examines the current alcohol use situation among adolescents and provides information relevant to development of adequate prevention programs for adolescent alcohol use in Korea. In this study, we used focus group research method and analyzed the outcome with constant comparison method. We classified 4 major categories of adolescent alcohol use situation such as the factors on enhancing alcohol use, the factors on delaying alcohol use, the occasions significantly related to alcohol use and the first alcohol use experience of adolescent. And we found out 16 minor categories and 93 concepts under the major categories. The results from the study revealed that the factors on enhancing alcohol use were associated with adolescents' psychological reasons, their positive perceptions on alcohol, family factors, peer influences, teacher's influences and social and cultural aspects on alcohol in general. The factors on delaying alcohol use were associated with health conditions, their negative perceptions on alcohol, parental monitoring, economic reasons and their limited access to purchase alcohol. The occasions significantly related to adolescent alcohol use were family events, school events and peer gatherings. In addition, the first adolescent alcohol use experience was strongly associated with the peer influences and significant adults' offer of alcohol. Findings suggest recommendations for prevention and intervention programs for adolescent alcohol use in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.671-675
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• 2009

Prostate cancer has been a critical health problem due to an increase of prostate cancer-related deaths worldwide. Also, a frequent treatment option for prostate cancer is androgen ablation, but this treatment has a limited scope, especially for hormone-refractory cancer. There is an urgent need for the identification of alternative therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer. Previously, over one hundred species of dried-plant methanol extracts were tested for inhibitory effects on proliferation. One of them, Piper longum Linn. was selected based on its potent anti-proliferation effect. The dried root of P. longum Linn. was extracted with 100% methanol for 2-3 days and its extract was fractionated using chloroform. The chloroform layer was then subjected to column chromatography on silica gel, reverse phase-18 (RP-18) and Sephadex LH-20, in turn. Finally, the pure compound was obtained and identified as pipernonaline by NMR spectroscopic and physico-chemical analysis. In this study, anti-proliferation and cell cycle arrest effects of pipernonaline on human prostate cancer PC-3 cells were investigated using the MTT and PI staining, respectively. Our findings suggest that pipernonaline represents a dose-dependent growth inhibition pattern on PC-3 cells and, moreover, its growth inhibition is associated with sub-G1 and G0/G1 cell cycle accumulation in PC-3 cells. Also, these results provide an anticancer candidate for human prostate cancer.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.125-130
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• 2011

Objectives: The microRNA (miRNA) miR-196a2 may play an important role in lung cancer development and survival by altering binding activity of target mRNA. In this study, we evaluated their associations with the susceptibility of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) by case-control study in a Korean population. Methods: We performed genotyping analyses for miR-196a2 rs11614913 T/C at miRNA regions in a case-control study using blood samples of 406 NSCLC patient and 428 cancer-free control groups. Results: The total C allele frequencies for miR-196a2 were 48.8% for the patients and 45.6% for the controls; and the genotype frequencies of TT, TC, and CC were 23.7%, 55.2%, and 21.1% for the patients and 31.1%, 46.35%, and 22.4% for the controls (p<0.05). Participants who possesses TC/CC genotypes showed high risk for NSCLC compared to those possessed TT genotypes (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.96). The association was persisted in 60 and older age group, male, smokers, those without family history for cancer. However, no significant association of CC genotypes in recessive genetic model was observed. Conclusions: In conclusion, this case-control study provides evidence that miR-196a2 rs11614913 C/T polymorphisms are associated with a significantly increased risk of NSCLC in a dominant model, indicating that common genetic polymorphisms in miR-196a2 rs11614913 are associated with NSCLC. The association of miR196a2 rs11614913 polymorphisms and NSCLC risk require confirmation through additional larger studies.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2017

Fusarium head bight (FHB) is a devastating disease on major cereal crops worldwide which causes primarily by Fusarium graminearum. Synthetic fungicides are generally used in conventional agriculture to control FHB. Their prolonged usage has led to environmental issues and human health problems. This has prompted interest in developing environmentally friendly biofungicides, including botanical fungicides. In this study, a total 100 plant extracts were tested for antifungal activity against F. graminearum. The crude extract of Pterocarpus santalinus heartwood showed the strongest antifungal activity and contained two antifungal metabolites which were identified as ${\alpha}$-cedrol and widdrol by GC-MS analysis. ${\alpha}$-Cedrol and widdrol isolated from P. santalinus heartwood extract had 31.25 mg/l and 125 mg/l of minimal inhibitory concentration against the spore germination of F. graminearum, and also showed broad spectrum antifungal activities against various plant pathogens. In addition, the wettable powder type formulation of heartwood extract of P. santalinus decreased FHB incidence in dose-dependent manner and suppressed the development of FHB with control values of 87.2% at 250-fold dilution, similar to that of chemical fungicide (92.6% at 2,000-fold dilution). This study suggests that the heartwood extract of P. santalinus could be used as an effective biofungicide for the control of FHB.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.111-119
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• 2017

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of stress on psychosocial wellbeing at the time of an outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome(MERS) and to investigate the effect of resilience as a mediator on the relationship between stress and psychosocial wellbeing. Methods : Perceived Stress Scale, Psychosocial Wellbeing Index Short Form, and the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale was implemented for 156 medical persons who worked at the hospital in which exposure to MERS cases had been confirmed and 127 ordinary people. We conducted a Pearson correlation coefficient and a hierarchical multiple regression to confirm the effect of stress on psychosocial wellbeing and the mediating effect of resilience between stress and psychosocial wellbeing. Results : The higher the perceived stress, the lower the psychosocial wellbeing in both healthcare workers and the public. The higher the perceived stress, the lower the resilience and the research results showed that there was a partially mediating effect of resilience in the relationship between stress and psychosocial wellbeing. Conclusions : This study demonstrated that the degree of individual resilience can indirectly give a positive effect on the psychosocial wellbeing when people under the stress by MERS shows adverse effects on psychosocial wellbeing. This suggests that clinical intervention and psychosocial approach aiming at strengthening resilience is important to maintain mental health during crisis development.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.66 no.6
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• pp.471-476
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• 2009

Human placenta contains various kinds of nutritional elements essential for embryonic development. Currently, human placenta extracts are widely overused in Korea to improve certain health conditions (postmenopausal syndrome, liver function, and cosmetic purposes) without scientific evidence that they actually work. The use of placenta extracts should be restricted, due to a lack of systematic research on the therapeutic effectiveness and adverse results from these treatments. While the common adverse effects that have been reported are fever, rash, itching, nausea, vomiting, breast pain, and rare cases of anaphylactic shock, there have been no reports of pulmonary complications such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Recently, we experienced a patient with hypersensitivity pneumonitis following a placenta extract injection. To our knowledge, this is the first case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis associated with placenta extract use.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.7
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• pp.4379-4386
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• 2013

Projection of cancer incidence is essential for planning cancer control actions, health care and allocation of resources. Here we project the cancer burden at the National and State level to understand the magnitude of cancer problem for the various calendar years from 2011 to 2026 at 5-yearly intervals. The age, sex and site-wise cancer incidence data along with populations covered by the registries were obtained from the report of National Cancer Registry Programme published by Indian Council of Medical Research for the period 2001-2004. Pooled age sex specific cancer incidence rates were obtained by taking weighted averages of these seventeen registries with respective registry populations as weights. The pooled incidence rates were assumed to represent the country's incidence rates. Populations of the country according to age and sex exposed to the risk of development of cancer in different calendar years were obtained from the report of Registrar General of India providing population projections for the country for the years from 2001 to 2026. Population forecasts were combined with the pooled incidence rates to estimate the projected number of cancer cases by age, sex and site of cancer at various 5-yearly periods Viz. 2011, 2016, 2021 and 2026. The projections were carried out for the various leading sites as well as for 'all sites' of cancer. In India, in 2011, nearly 1,193,000 new cancer cases were estimated; a higher load among females (603,500) than males (589,800) was noted. It is estimated that the total number of new cases in males will increased from 0.589 million in 2011 to 0.934 million by the year 2026. In females the new cases of cancer increased from 0.603 to 0.935 million. Three top most occurring cancers namely those of tobacco related cancers in both sexes, breast and cervical cancers in women account for over 50 to 60 percent of all cancers. When adjustments for increasing tobacco habits and increasing trends in many cancers are made, the estimates may further increase. The leading sites of cancers in males are lung, oesophagus, larynx, mouth, tongue and in females breast and cervix uteri. The main factors contributing to high burden of cancer over the years are increase in the population size as well as increase in proportion of elderly population, urbanization, and globalization. The cancer incidence results show an urgent need for strengthening and augmenting the existing diagnostic/treatment facilities, which are inadequate even to tackle the present load.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.453-460
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• 2017

This study proposes effective quality control and maintenance method by developing a new qualitative evaluation method of apron for medical radiation protection. As an experimental material, one of 0.45 mm lead and 100 of 0.45 mm Pb aprons were used and irradiated under the conditions of a tube voltage of 75 kVp and a tube current of 12.5 mAs to obtain an image. and using the Image J program, PSNR values were compared and analyzed. The results showed that there were 40 aprons (less than 11dB), 55 aprons (less than 11dB, less than 30dB), and 5 aprons (30dB or more). In addition, the dose showed a normal distribution for the apron, and 5 aprons with PSNR less than 11dB and 30dB or more were selected and divided into 8 zones, and these groups were statistically significant.