• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.77-101
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• 1997

In September 1994, residents of Gozan-dong, Incheon City, made a petition to the government about their health problems which might be caused by previous glass fibre landfill nearby 'H' company. In february 1995, at regular academic meeting of occupational and environmental medicine, a research team of 'D' University presented that they had found glass fibres in groundwater of the area through their survey. They were suspicious of probable association between ingestion of groundwater contaminated with glass fibres and skin tumors among residents. A joint research team was formed and carried out the survey of environment concerning groundwater and its glass fibre existence, and health assessment of residents in the area and industrial workers of 'H' company during May to November, 1995. Analysis of groundwater flow system indicates that the flow lines from the glass fibre landfill pass through or terminate at the 6 houses around the landfill. This means that the groundwater of the 6 houses around the glass fibre landfill could be affected by some possible contaminants from the landfill, but the groundwater quality of the other houses was irrelevant to the landfill. The qualitative and qualitative analyses for glass fibres in 54 groundwater samples including those from the nearby 6 houses, were carried out using SEM equipped with EDS, resulting in no evidence for the presence of glass fibres in the waters. Major precipitates, formed in waters while boiling, were identified as calcium carbonates, in particulary, aragonites in needle form. The results of health assessments of 889 residents in Gozan-dong, participated in this study, showed statistically significant differences in past medical histories of skin tumor and respiratory disease between the exposed group (31 persons who inhabited in 6 houses around the landfill) and the control group, but no significant differences in past medical histories of other diseases, such as cancer mortality, current gastroscopic findings, current skin diseases and respiratory diseases, etc. Also, we could not prove any glass fibres in excised specimens of 9 skin tumors in both groups and there were no health problems possibly associated with glass fibres in employees of the 'H' company. After all, we could not authenticate the association, raised by prior investigators, between groundwater streams, assumedly contaminated with glass fibres or not, and specific disease morbidities or common disease/symptom prevalences. That is, we could not find any glass fibres in groundwater as the only exposure factor of this study hypothesis, and there were not enough certain evidences such as increasing disease prevalences, for examples, skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases etc, possibly related to glass fibre exposure, in exposed group. As a matter of course, the conditions for confirming causal association, for example, strength of the association, consistency of the association, specificity of the association, temporality of the association and dose-response relationship etc, have not been satisfied. In conclusion, we were not able to certify the hypothesis that contamination of groundwater with glass fibres might cause any hazardous health effects in residents who used it for drinking.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.38-49
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• 2011

Bioaerosols generated from wastewater treatment plants may create health risks for plant workers and nearby residents. To determine the levels of culturable airborne bacteria and fungi in bioaerosols, samples were seasonally collected above and near the aeration tanks of one feces-urine and three sewage treatment plants in Ulsan, Korea with an impaction-type sampler. In the feces-urine treatment plant, concentrations of heterotrophic bacteria were between $1.3({\pm}0.2){\times}10^3$ and $2.6({\pm}1.2){\times}10^4$ MPN/$m^3$ above the aeration tank and between $1.7({\pm}1.0){\times}10^2$ and $7.2({\pm}2.2){\times}10^3$ MPN/$m^3$ near the aeration tank. Coliform bacteria were detected both above and near the aeration tank. In cases of sewage treatment plant, the numbers of heterotrophic bacteria ranged from $1.9({\pm}1.2){\times}10^1$ to $1.8({\pm}1.2){\times}10^4$ MPN/$m^3$ above the aeration tank and from $5.0({\pm}2.8){\times}10^0$ to $6.6({\pm}2.0){\times}10^3$ MPN/$m^3$ near the aeration tank. At reference sites, the concentrations of heterotrophs in ambient air were measured between $7.0{\times}10^0$ and $2.7{\times}10^1$ MPN/$m^3$. When we isolated and tentatively identified heterotrophic bacteria, Pseudomonas luteola was the most dominant species in bioaerosols from wastewater treatment plants, whereas the most abundant one in reference samples was Micrococcus sp. When we measured fungal concentrations in bioaerosols, they were rather similar regardless of sampling locations and seasons, and such genera as Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Penicillium were commonly identified.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 1999

Backround : Pneumoconiosis is the parenchymal lung disease that results from the inhalation and deposition of dust, usually mineral dust of occupational or environmental origin. Most of the pneumoconiosis can be categorized to coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) in Korea. No effective treatement is currently available, and the therapy for symptomatic CWP is limited to treatment of complication. Therefore authors analyzed and reviewed clinical features and radiological findings of 95 patients with pneumoconiosis for assessing the prognostic factors in disease progression. Method: We reviewed medical records of 95 cases with pneumoconiosis including history, chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, electrocardiography, AFB stain and culture of sputum, and routine blood examination between June 1995 and June 1997 in Seonam University Namkwang Hospital. Results: All of cases are male(mean age, 57.4 years), 91 cases out of them are miners. The mean duration of exposure to dust is 18.8 years. Major clinical symptoms are dyspnea (100%), sputum (71.6%), chest pain (55.8%), cough (23.2%), and hemoptysis (6.3%). 82 % of cases are over Morgan-Seaton Grade 2 in the degree of dyspnea. Small opacity on chest x-ray is 82.1 % and large opacity is 17.9%. Small opacity has tit type (37.2%), q/q type (25.6%) and r/r type (11.5%). B type is 42.2% in large opacity. For the pulmonary function test, restrictive type is 40.3%, mixed type 19.5% and obstructive type 8.3%. The more increasing chest Xray density, the more decreasing $FEV_1$ (p<0.01). 38% of patients show tuberculosis in chest X-ray, 15.8% positive smear of acid fast bacilli in sputum. The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis is high in patients with poor clinical condition. The cases with the active pulmonary tuberculosis have severe dyspnea. Expired cases show 100% and 75% of positive pulmonary tuberculosis in chest X-ray and sputum examination, respectively. 75% of expired cases show the chronic cor pulmonale, who died of acute respiratory failure. Conclusion: These findings indicate that tuberculoois infection has a decisive influence on the progress and prognoois of pneumoconioois.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.209-217
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• 2013

Adiponectin (AdipoN), brain-derived nerotrophic factor (BDNF) and leptin (LeP) are mainly secreted from adipose tissue and are known to be involved in regulation of the development of obese. However, there are not many studies on the association between abdominal fat and neuropeptides such as AdipoN, BDNF and LeP. The aim of this study was undertaken to investigate the association between abdominal fat thickness, neuropeptides and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. The participants in the study were 138 male employees without CVD. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute. Written informed consent for the participants in this study was obtained from all individuals. We obtained subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) and visceral fat thickness (VFT) by using ultrasonography and neuropeptides levels were measured with ELISA kit according to the method suggested by kit manufacturer. The mean SFT and VFT were $1.58{\pm}0.51$ and $4.52{\pm}1.44$ cm. The mean concentrations of AdipoN, BDNF and LeP were $3.14{\pm}3.52$ ng/ml, $24.11{\pm}8.52$ pg/ml and $4.27{\pm}2.38$ ng/ml, respectively. VFT were positively correlated with total cholesterol (r=0.217, p<0.05), LDL-cholesterol (r=0.271, p<0.01), triglyceride (r=0.233, p<0.05) and insulin (r=0.338, p<0.01), but was inversely correlated with HDL-cholesterol (r=-420, p<0.01). AdipoN levels were positively correlated with HDL-cholesterol (r=0.220, p<0.05) and were inversely correlated with total cholesterol (r=-0.196, p<0.05), LDL-cholesterol (r=-0.190, p<0.05), triglyceride (r=-0.199, p<0.05), SFT (r=-0.195, p<0.05) and VFT (r=-0.412, p<0.01). However, LeP levels showed a reverse trend to AdipoN. AdipoN level was significantly higher in non-obese participants (BMI<25 kg/m), but LeP concentration was significantly higher in obese participants (BMI>25 kg/m) than in non-obese. On multiple logistic regression analysis, obese were significantly associated with AdipoN (odds ratio=0.784) and LeP (odds ratio=1.494). These results suggested that AdipoN and LeP concentrations are affected abdominal fat and that dysfunction and/or declination in the production and secretion of neuropeptides might induced ultimately obese and CVD.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 1981

Silk textile finishing has been studied for many years by many workers in order to meet more utilities for various endusers. Such studies, however, could not be successful because any natural fibers are hardly change their natures by artificial treating methods. Textile finishing is of course to improve the mechandise qualities and the poor natures of silk so that it may be available as the best textile fiber in the world. Sometimes, famous trade marked textile plays more power than its quality in the silk market, nevertheless, this should be over line of research activities. Meantime, the silk demand has been also transferred from ladies stocking to other clothes since nylon or other synthetic fibers were developed. That is why, the extension of silk demand should be developed by various research works. Specially, silk is known as difficult textile to handle it during washing or ironing process which happened to depress down the silk usage for house wives. In order to solve such problems, the reporter has been worked for many years and now, he believes that he has developed a proper finishing method to coversuch problems. The developed finishing method may be said to eligible with economical aspect and shorten the dry duration after water washing in half against normal silk textile without harming the specific silk nature. As all of us know, silk fiber starts to denature since it was spinned by silkworm and the fiber is formed as overlapped "S" type curves during its concooning process. After it is made as raw silk or sericin silk, it shows as straight line form, but it changes in to waved form in case refining or degumming process in order return to its original spinned form. Such nature is continued during its textile form and ends with hard ironing nature than other textile fibers. Mean while, the silk fiber keeps to continue its denaturing and this is iniciated by repeat of washing and drying which takes many years to reach its final stage, The reporter has found the iniciating denature of silk by his finishing process, with out heat, decreasing the swollen nature which ended with shortening the drying duration after wash. Each washing was carried out by soaking the previously weighed sample in cold water for one hour, then pressed the sample for ten minutes to eliminate its free water component before weighing with same condition. According to this, the treated silk showed much denaturing after the finishing, but the standard silk progressed the denaturing by and by with the repeat of washing and drying, finally reached the same swollen degree of treated silk, Such treating result explains that the treated silk happened to be stebilized nature by the treating immediately. On the other that the treated silk happened to be stebilized nature by the treating immediately. On the other hand, standard silk may reach to such condition by the time of worn out clothes after repeat of washing and drying for many years while the clothes will be no more useful. The decreased swelling nature has brought about the drying period in half against standard silk after all. Not only the tests of tenacity and elongation but also crease resistance recovery, stiffness and shrinkage tests were carried out after each washing and drying which he has found better result on the treated silk textile against the standard silk. The most important thing was to keep the textile feeling of silk by such finishing work before improve any poor nature of silk. The general silk has a nature to absorb smoke or dirt from its surrounding air and reaches to dirty color shade upon such exposure, but the treated one has improved such nature because of its artificial denaturing, another word, it keeps clean longer than the normal silk. Many previous finishing works could improve some specific nature of silk, but it happened to deprave other important natures. The reporters work is, however, specialized to improve the silk to be useful as Wash and Wear Silk without harming its standard natures. So far, this work happened to be a overall innovative finishing method of silk textile.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.103-124
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• 2010

Objectives: The out-of-pocket payment (OOP) of the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance (IACI) in Korea was investigated empirically in terms of its incidence, magnitude and factors influencing them. Methods: The subjects were sampled with stratified, randomized methods among medical institutions of which the number of monthly IACI claims exceeded its median as of May 2008. Out of 204 institutions selected, 118 institutions (57.8%) responded to this survey. A total of 24,826 episodes(2,457 inpatient and 22,369 outpatient episodes) were included in this analysis. The incidence and magnitude of OOP of IACI were calculated by characteristics of institution as well as patient. Factors that affected the incidence and magnitude of OOP were investigated through multi-level analysis. Results: The overall incidence of OOP of IACI was 9.9% (25.6% for inpatient and 8.2% for outpatient) and the percentage of OOP among total expenditures was 8.3% on average (7.6% for inpatient and 26.8% for outpatient); 25.2% at traditional oriental medicine hospitals, 9.5% at general hospitals and 2.5% at the industrial-accident-designated medical institutions. The incidence of OOP of IACI was influenced by hospital size, ownership, longer duration of designation (over 5 years) and length of stay. On the other hand, its magnitude was influenced by medium-sized hospital, public hospital, location of large city and length of stay. Extra charges for upper grade room which accommodates less than 4 patients and treatment by specialists were the leading contributors to the magnitude of OOP of IACI. Conclusion: The incidence and magnitude OOP of IACI varied in institution type and were influenced by both institutional and patient's factors. In order to achieve the goal of Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance, appropriate level of compensation, that is, no incidence of OOP, for accident and disease of workers, it is necessary to take measures to reduce incidence and magnitude of OOP.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.13-38
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• 2001

The question about whether a shorter workweek may increase employment has been a serious issue and been furiously debated among collective bargainers. The advocators recommend publicly that a reduction in standard working hours will provide benefits to the unemployed through the provision of new jobs, and also can improve the quality of life workers. The opponents argue that a shorter workweek will increase labor costs and induce firms to reduce their production levels, and consequently cut back their demand for labor. Although the debate is still continuing, considerable has been made toward achieving the goal workweek reduction. The analytical framework of this paper is a Putty-clay-model, in which the short-and long-term impacts of changes in working time on the employment associated with the interrelations of wages, prices, hourly labour productivity, the firm's labor demand, business cycle and economic growth etc. must be analyzed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.186-198
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• 2018

Purpose: This study was performed to evaluate the utilization of a current national Food Composition Database (FCDB) and to investigate demand for nutrients that should be added or supplemented in order to expand the national FCDB. Methods: Surveys were constructed based on the utilization of FCDB, use of a food and nutrition analysis program, utilization and importance of nutritional ingredients, and nutritional ingredients desired to be supplemented in the national FCDB. Self-administered surveys were obtained from 349 food and nutrition specialists, including dietitians, nutrition teachers, food industry workers, professors, and researcher. Results: Exactly 73.6% of respondents used the FCDB, and 90.5% experienced using various food and nutrition analysis programs. Professors and researchers frequently utilized protein, carbohydrate, and lipid nutrients in the FCDB. Among vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin D were frequently used. Among minerals, sodium and calcium were highly used. Among the subjects, 17.4% of subjects have used phytochemical DB. Carotenoids, anthocyanins, and isoflavones among phytochemicals were frequently used, in that order. Respondents desired an additional data on sugars, vitamin D, folic acid, selenium, iodine, dietary fiber, vitamin $B_{12}$, and carotenoids in the FCDB. Conclusion: The survey results indicate that the current FCDB is actively used for various purposes, although it is necessary to construct a national nutrition database with additional nutrients.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.334-345
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• 2009

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the management status of chronic disease at community health centers. Methods: The study subjects were 450 employed persons at community health centers in Jeonlanamdo. General characteristics, status of chronic disease management and health education were collected for statistical analysis. The differences on management status among working areas were assessed with chi-square test and ANOVA. Results: The mean values of work duration were 18.7 years in rural, 14.4 years in fishing village, and 17.4 years in urban-rural, respectively. The number of management registration was highest in hypertension. The ways of disease management were medication check-up, diet stopping smoking. The contents of group health education were exercise, diet and prohibition of smoking. The place of health education was town assembling hall. The fields which officials wanted to be educated were symptom, diagnosis, treatment and complication. The most important field was early detection of chronic disease patients and health education. Finally, the field requiring support was work standardization. Conclusions: Community health workers have worked positively in chronic disease management. The barriers to work were the lack of professional and preliminary data. The support system with other health organ and health education were needed for the improvement of working ability.

• Progress in Medical Physics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.37-42
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• 2009

Proton therapy facility, which is recently installed at National Cancer Center in Korea, generally produces a large amount of radiation near cyclotron due to the secondary particles and radioisotopes caused by collision between proton and nearby materials during the acceleration. Although the level of radiation by radioisotope decreases in length of time, radiation exposure problem still exists since workers are easily exposed by a low level of radiation for a long time due to their job assignment for maintenance or repair of the proton facility. In this paper, the working environment near cyclotron, where the highest radiation exposure is expected, was studied by measuring the degree of radiation and its duration for an appropriate level of protective action guide. To do this, we measured the radiation change in the graphite based energy degrader, the efficiency of transmitted beam and relative activation degree of the transmission beam line. The results showed that while the level of radiation exposure around cyclotron and beam line during the operation is much higher than the other radiation therapy facilities, the radiation exposure rate per year is under the limit recommended by the law showing 1~3 mSv/year.