• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.83-89
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• 2013

Objectives: The purpose of this experiment was to illuminate the relationship between the phosphorus removal rate of unit operation and the phosphorus removal rate of phosphorus volume loading in the Ferrous Nutrient Removal process, which consists of an anoxic basin, oxic basin, and iron precipitation apparatus. Methods: This study was conducted in order to improve the effect of nitrogen and phosphorus removal in domestic wastewater using the FNR (Ferrous Nutrient Removal) process which features an iron precipitation reactor in anoxic and oxic basins. The average concentration of TN and TP was analyzed in a pilot plant ($50m^3/day$). Results: The removal rate of T-N and T-P were 66.5% and 92.8%, respectively. The $NH_3-N$ concentration of effluent was 2.62 mg/l with nitrification in the oxic basin even though the influent was 17.7 mg/l. The $NO_3$-N concentration of effluent was 5.83 mg/l through nitrification in oxic basin even though the influent and anoxic basin were 0.82 mg/l and 1.00 mg/l, respectively. The specific nitrification of the oxic basin ($mg.NH_3$-Nremoved/gMLVSSd) was 16.5 and specific de-nitrification ($mg.NO_3$-Nremoved/gMLVSSd) was 90.8. The T-P removal rate was higher in the oxic basin as T-P of influent was consumed at a rate of 56.3% in the anoxic basin but at 90.3% in the oxic basin. The TP removal rate (mg.TP/g.MLSS.d) ranged from 2.01 to 4.67 (3.06) as the volume loading of T-P was increased, Conclusions: The test results showed that the electrolysis of iron is an effective method of phosphorus removal. Regardless of the temperature and organic matter content of the influent, the quality of phosphorus in the treated water was both relatively stable and high due to the high removal efficiency. Nitrogen removal efficiency was 66.5% because organic matter from the influent serves as a carbon source in the anoxic basin.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.103-111
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• 2022

PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the effects of the whole-body vibration exercise combined with ankle joint mobilization on the gait and balancing ability in patients with hemiplegic stroke. METHODS: A total of 19 patients at a rehabilitation hospital who had suffered a hemiplegic stroke were randomly assigned to the experimental group (whole-body vibration exercise combined with ankle joint mobilization, n=10) or control group (whole-body vibration exercise, n=9). All participants underwent 30 min of comprehensive rehabilitation therapy (5 × /week for 6 weeks). Additionally, the experimental group performed the whole body vibration exercise and ankle joint mobilization (15 minutes each, 30 minutes total, 3 × / week for 6 weeks). In the control group, only the whole- body vibration exercise was performed in the same manner and not the ankle joint mobilization. The gait and balancing abilities were measured before and after the 6-week training. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in the 10-m walk test, timed up-and-go (TUG) test, center of pressure (COP) path length, and COP path velocity in the experimental group (p < .05). The experimental group showed a larger decrease in the COP path length and velocity than the control group (COP path length, -10.27 mm vs. -3.67 mm, p < .05; COP path velocity, -.33 cm/sec vs. -.13 cm/sec, p < .05, respectively). CONCLUSION: The whole-body vibration exercise combined with ankle joint mobilization could be effective in improving the gait and balancing ability of stroke patients and could also be more effective for improving the static balance ability than the general whole-body vibration exercise alone.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.205-216
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• 2022

Background: People with special needs tend to require diverse behavioral management in dentistry. They may feel anxious or uncomfortable or may not respond to any communication with the dentists. Patients with medical, physical, or psychological disorders may not cooperate and therefore require sedation (SED) or general anesthesia (GA) to receive dental treatment. Using the healthcare big data in Korea, this study aimed to analyze the trends of SED and GA in special needs patients undergoing dental treatment. It is believed that these data can be used as reference material for hospitals and for preparation of guidelines and related policy decisions of associations or governments for special needs patients in dentistry. Methods: The study used selected health information data provided by the Korean National Health Insurance Service. Patients with a record of use of one of the eight selected drugs used in dental SED between January 2007 and September 2019, those with International Classification of Diseases-10 codes for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobia, brain disease, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, genetic disease, autism, mental disorder, mental retardation, and dementia were selected. The insurance claims data were analyzed for age, sex, sedative use, GA, year, and institution. Results: The number of special needs patients who received dental treatment under SED or GA from January 2007 to September 2019 was 116,623. Number of SED cases was 136,018, performed on 69,265 patients, and the number of GA cases was 56,308, implemented on 47,257 patients. In 2007, 3100 special needs patients received dental treatment under SED while in 2018 the number of cases increased 6 times to 18,528 SED cases. In dentistry, ADHD was the most common disability for SED cases while phobia was the most common cause of disability for GA. The male-to-female ratio with respect to SED cases was higher for males (M : F = 64.36% : 35.64%). Conclusion: The application of the SED method and GA for patients with special needs in dentistry is increasing rapidly; thus, preparing guidelines and reinforcing the education and system are necessary.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.87 no.2
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• pp.176-184
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• 2024

Background: Results of studies investigating the association between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) have been conflicting. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective observational study, conducted between January 2020 and August 2021, evaluated the impact of obesity on outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 in a Korean national cohort. A total of 1,114 patients were enrolled from 22 tertiary referral hospitals or university-affiliated hospitals, of whom 1,099 were included in the analysis, excluding 15 with unavailable height and weight information. The effect(s) of BMI on patients with severe COVID-19 were analyzed. Results: According to the World Health Organization BMI classification, 59 patients were underweight, 541 were normal, 389 were overweight, and 110 were obese. The overall 28-day mortality rate was 15.3%, and there was no significant difference according to BMI. Univariate Cox analysis revealed that BMI was associated with 28-day mortality (hazard ratio, 0.96; p=0.045), but not in the multivariate analysis. Additionally, patients were divided into two groups based on BMI ≥25 kg/m² and underwent propensity score matching analysis, in which the two groups exhibited no significant difference in mortality at 28 days. The median (interquartile range) clinical frailty scale score at discharge was higher in nonobese patients (3 [3 to 5] vs. 4 [3 to 6], p<0.001). The proportion of frail patients at discharge was significantly higher in the nonobese group (28.1% vs. 46.8%, p<0.001). Conclusion: The obesity paradox was not evident in this cohort of patients with severe COVID-19. However, functional outcomes at discharge were better in the obese group.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2011

The aim of the study is to analyze the dose delivery error depending on the depth variation according to target positions and arc trajectories by comparing the simulated treatment planning with the actual dose delivery in conformal arc therapy. We simulated the conformal arc treatment planning with the three target positions (center, 2.5 cm, and 5 cm in the phantom). For the experiments, IMRT body phantom (I’mRT Phantom, Wellhofer Dosimetry, Germany) was used for treatment planning with CT (Computed Tomography, Light speed 16, GE, USA). The simulated treatment plans were established by three different target positions using treatment planning system (Eclipse, ver. 6.5, VMS, Palo Alto, USA). The radiochromic film (Gafchromic EBT2, ISP, Wayne, USA) and dose analysis software (OmniPro-IMRT, ver. 1.4, Wellhofer Dosimetry, Germany) were used for the measurement of the planned arc delivery using 6 MV photon beam from linear accelerator (CL21EX, VMS, Palo Alto, USA). Gamma index (DD: 3%, DTA: 2 mm) histogram and dose profile were evaluated for a quantitative analysis. The dose distributions surrounded by targets were also compared with each plans and measurements by conformity index (CI), and homogeneity index (HI). The area covered by 100% isodose line was compared to the whole target area. The results for the 5 cm-shifted target plan show that 23.8%, 35.6%, and 37% for multiple conformal arc therapy (MCAT), single conformal arc therapy (SCAT), and multiple static beam therapy, respectively. In the 2.5 cm-shifted target plan, it was shown that 61%, 21.5%, and 14.2%, while in case of center-located target, 70.5%, 14.1%, and 36.3% for MCAT, SCAT, and multiple static beam therapy, respectively. The values were resulted by most superior in the MCAT, except the case of the 5 cm-shifted target. In the analysis of gamma index histogram, it was resulted of 37.1, 27.3, 29.2 in the SCAT, while 9.2, 8.4, 10.3 in the MCAT, for the target positions of center, shifted 2.5 cm and 5 cm, respectively. The fail proportions of the SCAT were 2.8 to 4 times as compared to those of the MCAT. In conclusion, dose delivery error could be occurred depending on the target positions and arc trajectories. Hence, if the target were located in the biased position, the accurate dose delivery could be performed through the optimization of depth according to arc trajectory.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.154-163
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• 1989

This studies were designed to improve the productivity of L-lysine by protoplast fusion and immobilized system of fusants using strains of Brevibacterium flavum ATCC 21528, Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC 21086 and Corynebacterium glutamicum 820. Mutants were isolated with concentration method of $300{\mu}g/ml$ penicillin-G after treatment of $250{\mu}g/ml$ N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. B. flavum $37-2(Hos^-,\;Kan^r,\;AEC^r)$, B. lactofermentum $6-2(Ile^-,\;Val^-,\;Str^r,\;AEC^r)$ and C. glutamicum 57-5$(Met^-,\;Thr^-,\;Rif^r,\;AEC^r)$ were isolated from mutants. Protoplasts were induced by being incubated with $500{\mu}g/ml$ lysozyme of lysis solution for 6 hr and the ratio of protoplast formation and regeneration were ranging from 97-99% and 33-37%, respectively. Fusion frequencies of fusants of BBFL 21, BCFG 37 and BCLG 59 were shown in the range from $1.25{\times}10^{-6}\;to\;5.83{\times}10^{-7}$ under the optimum conditions. The fusant BBFL 21 showed the highest productivity of $411.1\;ng/ml{\cdot}hr$ L-lysine in the lysine productivity broth at $30^{\circ}C$ for 72hr. In the immobilization systems, fusant BBFL 21 was employed in various polymer matrices such as sodium alginate, polyacrylamide, agar and ${\alpha}-carrageena$. The immobilization of sodium alginate showed the highest productivity of $413\;ng/ml{\cdot}hr$ L-lysine in the batch system. Continuous fermentation of immobilization system by using tube fermentor was produced the highest productivity $416.7\;ng/ml{\cdot}hr $ L-lysine under optimum condition.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2007

As the consumption of environmentally friendly agricultural products increases, food safety is at the forefront of public health concerns. We analyzed the biological hazards of 26 species of leaf vegetables and 4 species of fruit according to types of cultivation (conventional or organic filming) and distribution system (giant retailers or organic food stores) using various culture media, automatic bacterial identification systems, and microscopy, Total bacterial count of unwashed agricultural product ranged from $5.2{\times}10^{3}\;to\;1.5{\times}10^{5}\;CFU/mL$ (from 0.1 g of agricultural products), and the average count dropped 25-fold (range, 8-60-fold) after water washing. Microbial levels of washed organic agricultural products were $6.0{\times}10^{2}-1.9{\times}10^{4}\;CFU/mL$, and were not significantly different f개m the microbial loads on conventionally farmed produce. There was no significant difference in bacterial count from agricultural produce purchased from giant retailers or organic food stores. Total microbial count of Chinese cabbage, welsh onion, red chicory and kale were comparatively high, and Enterobacter cloacae was isolated most frequently. Parasites were detected in agricultural products purchased from conventional farm products in the stores of giant retailers, and in organic food stores, and parasite prevalence was especially high in Chinese cabbages and welsh onion. The study indicated that cultivation methods and distribution systems did not cause significant differences in biological contamination levels of agricultural produce. Some vegetables and fruits were highly contaminated effective sanitizing methods to reduce these biological hazards are needed.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.93-102
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• 2012

Thanks to the rapid increase of the interest in the quality control of the General X-ray systems, this research proposes the direction of the quality control through comparing and inspecting the actual condition of the respective quality control in the Clinic, the educational institution and the hospital. The subjects of the investigation are diagnostic radiation equipment's in the clinic, the educational institution and the hospital around the capital. A test of kVp, mR/mAs out put test and reproducibility of the exposure dose, half value layer, an accordance between the light field and the beam alignment test, and lastly reproducibility of the exposure time. Then the mean difference of the percentage, the CV (Coefficient of Variation, CV) and the attenuated curve which are respectively resulted from the above tests are computed. After that we have evaluated the values according to the regulations on the Diagnostic Radiation Equipment Safety Administration regulations. In the case of the clinic and the educational institution, there were 22 general X-ray devices. And 18.2% of the kVp test, 13.6% of the reproducibility of exposure dose test, 9.1% of the mR/mAs out put test, and 13.6% of the HVL (Half Value Layer) test appeared to be improper. In the case of the hospital, however, there were 28 devices. And 7.1% of the reproducibility of exposure dose, 7.1% of the difference in the light field/ beam alignment, and 7.1% of the reproducibility of the exposure time appeared to be improper. According to the investigation, the hospital's quality control condition is better than the condition in the clinic and the educational institution. The quality control condition of the general X-ray devices in the clinic is unsatisfactory compared to the hospital. Thus, it is considered that realizing the importance of the quality control is necessary.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.273-280
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• 2008

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) remains a major worldwide public health problem. In recent years, the incidence of MTB has been rising. Rapid and reliable diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is essential to initiate correct treatment, avoid severe complications, and prevent transmission. LAMP was used to develop a rapid and sensitive laboratory diagnostic system for the MTB. In this research, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification method (LAMP) that amplifies DNA with high specificity and rapidity at an isothermal condition was evaluated for rapid detection of MTB. Undiluted DNA (2.10 × 106 copy/mL), 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5 and 10-6 (copy/mL) of MTB DNA were amplified by PCR and LAMP to determine the sensitivity of the assay. At results, the LAMP assay reported here has the advantages of rapid amplification, high sensitivity, and high specificity and will be useful for rapid and reliable clinical diagnosis of MTB in hospital clinical laboratory.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.75-80
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• 2008

High concentration of $NH_3$, $CO_2$, and lots of dust are found in modern densely raising stall system, as results, they provide a negative influence on animal and lamer health, and production ability. Therefore, it is necessary to keep clean the inside of stall air to increase the productivity. A wet type air cleaner has been developed to clean the stall air. The work principle is that the inside air are sucked through the fan, and the rotating discs make a water into a fineness spray and blows into the stall. The spray can take the dust, $NH_3$, and odor from the stall inside air and give back to the circulating water, which can be refreshed in 2 hours interval. In the Present study, we measured the $NH_3$, dust, odor, temperature and humidity in a swine stall that were installed two wet air cleaners with 700 fattening swine with on-mode and off-mode of wet air cleaners. In fall, the concentrations of $NH_3$ in off-mode stall were maximum 24 ppm and minimum 16 prm, and the average was 18.2 ppm. However in on-mode stall the $NH_3$ concentrations were maximum 7ppm and minimum 1ppm, and the average was 2.7ppm. The concentration of $NH_3$ in on-mode was 74% lower than off-mode stall. Odor was measured by olfactometer. In the off-mode stall, the odor unit was 3,800 OU/$m^3$, but in the on-mode stall the odor unit was 2,100 OU/$m^3$ Odor removal efficiency was about 45% in on-mode stall. The dust measure was divided into 3 categories, $PM_{10}$, $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{1.0}$. Whereas the $PM_{10}$ showed no significant differences between the tests, $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{1.0}$ in the fine particle range reduced remarkably in the on-mode.