• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.48-56
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• 2024

Objectives: The coronavirus pandemic that began in 2019(COVID-19) has been one of the worst pandemics of the 21st century. Masks have been used to prevent COVID-19, but there are currently no standards for the long-term use of masks in the Republic of Korea. This study was conducted to assess the microbiological safety of KF94(Korea Filter 94) disposable face masks according to wearing duration by evaluating the bacterial filtration efficiencies of masks worn by research participants. Methods: A commercially available KF94 mask certified by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety(MFDS) in the Republic of Korea was selected as the test mask. The research participants(n = 15) wore masks for the durations of one, three, and seven days. Participants also reported several parameters, including wearing time, makeup frequency, and storage. Bacterial filtration efficiencies of the worn masks were measured by a mask bioaerosol filtration tester. Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) was used as the test bacteria and quantitatively measured through the cultivation method. Then, bacterial filtration efficiency was calculated using the formula suggested by the MFDS. Results: All worn masks showed over 99.98% of mean bacterial filtration efficiency for S. aureus. There were no significant differences among bacterial filtration efficiencies of face masks according to wearing duration. There was also no significant difference among bacterial filtration efficiencies among participants. There was no correlation between the results of bacterial filtration efficiencies and reported parameters from participants. Conclusions: In the absence of significant external damage to the mask, the bacterial filtration efficiency of the mask can be maintained even after seven days of wearing. This result suggests that KF94 masks certified by the MFDS can be used repeatedly for about a week without loss of bacterial filtration efficiency.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.73-81
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• 2014

The present study was carried out to assess exposure and risk to thiophanate-methyl wettable powder for agricultural worker during mixing/loading and application with power sprayer in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields. Dermal exposure was measured with patches, gloves, socks and masks, while inhalation exposure was evaluated with personal air pump and solid sorbent. Those methods were full validated before experiment. During mixing/loading, dermal exposure amount in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields was $24.0{\pm}6.7$, $4.5{\pm}1.5$ and $18.5{\pm}0.6mg$, corresponding to mean 0.007, 0.001 and 0.005% of prepared active ingredient, respectively. The major exposed part for mixer/loader was hands (78-92%). Dermal exposure amount for applicator in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields was $84.9{\pm}14.0$, $34.0{\pm}20.8$ and $30.7{\pm}9.1mg$, corresponding to mean 0.024, 0.016 and 0.013% of applied active ingredient, respectively. The main body parts of exposure in apple field were hands, while thighs and shins in other fields. Inhalation exposure amount in green pepper, cucumber and apple fields was $1.5{\pm}2.2$, $52.7{\pm}48.9$ and $4.0{\pm}4.9{\mu}g$ during mixing/loading and $0.2{\pm}0.1$, $23.2{\pm}12.4$ and $0.4{\pm}0.6{\mu}g$ for applicator, respectively. These results were suggested that main factors affecting dermal exposure were contact frequency to the plants, foliage density, hygienic behavior, work type, and working environment, while inhalation exposure was affected mainly by working environment, especially wind. In risk assessment, margin of safety for thiophanate-methyl in all cases was over 1. However, during application in green pepper field, margin of safety was close to 1.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.469-490
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• 2023

Survey was carried out on the acoustic outputs from 12 shock wave fields produced by the 10 extracorporeal shock wave lithotriptors whose technical documents are available, among the 33 devices approved by the Ministry of Food & Drug Safety (MFDS).The results show that the acoustic outputs (P+, P-, efd, and E), critical to the therapeutic efficacy and the patient safety, are largely different between the devices. The maximum values of P+, P-, efd, and E vary up to 2.08, 3.72, 3.89, and 15.98 times, respectively. The acoustic output parameters are not thoroughly provided in the technical documents, and some of data (eg. efd) are suspected to be abnormal outside usual ranges. The large device to device differences in the shock wave outputs are likely to undermine equivalence between the ESWL devices approved for the same indication. To verify the reliability of the data in the technical documents of the approved devices and to confirm if the acoustic outputs from the devices in clinical use are the same as those in their technical documents, an authorized test laboratory should be available. A postapproval monitoring led by the regulatory agency is suggested to maintain the acoustic outputs from the ESWL devices that suffer from degrading in performance due to aging.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.1090-1098
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• 2016

The anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract from Grateloupia crispata (GCEE) were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages. Anti-inflammatory effects were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. There was no cytotoxic effect on proliferation of macrophages treated with GCEE compared to the control. GCEE significantly inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}$, and $IL-1{\beta}$] as well as nitric oxide in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, GCEE suppressed expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase, cyclooxygenase-2, and nuclear $factor-{\kappa}B$ in a dose-dependent manner. GCEE significantly reduced activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases. In the in vivo test, evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of GCEE was performed using croton oil-induced ear edema in ICR mice. Oral administration of 10 mg/kg to 250 mg/kg of GCEE significantly reduced ear edema in a dose-dependent manner compared to croton oil-induced mice. Moreover, GCEE reduced ear thickness and the number of mast cells compared to croton oil-induced mice in the histological analysis. These data suggest that GCEE could be used as a potential source for anti-inflammatory agents.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.11
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• pp.1774-1784
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine obstructive factors and performance level of the HACCP system among elementary schools in Gyeongbuk province. E-mail survey targeted 320 dieticians, and recovery rate was 74.1%. Consequently, 227 responses were analyzed. The questionnaire was composed of 58 items under four sections (general characteristics, dieticians' perceived HACCP performance level, dieticians' perceived CCP performance level, and obstructive factors of HACCP system implementation). The item with the highest rate of HACCP performance level was 'HACCP training for foodservice employees in schools ($4.02{\pm}0.70$)' while the lowest counterpart was 'implementation of HACCP team meeting, reporting, and maintenance ($2.74{\pm}0.99$)'. The performance level of the item 'HACCP training for foodservice employees in schools' was perceived as highest when the number of students eating school meals was greater than 1,101 (P<0.05). Moreover, CCP 4 ($4.44{\pm}0.53$) and CP 5 ($4.44{\pm}0.51$) showed the best performance, whereas CCP 1 showed the lowest performance level ($3.90{\pm}0.60$). Therefore, reinforcement of hygiene instruction in menu planning is perceived as necessary. CCP 1, CCP 6 (P<0.05), and CCP 3 (P<0.001) showed significant differences in performance based on the number of students eating school meals. Further, according to results regarding obstructive factors of HACCP system execution, 'general factor' was the most severe obstructive factor in the application of HACCP ($3.46{\pm}0.62$). Among the 'factors pertaining to dieticians', the item 'hardship of proper monitoring and micro-management due to overwhelming workload' was most influential ($3.46{\pm}0.96$). Furthermore, the item 'low budget allocation by educational offices ($3.90{\pm}0.88$)' was influential among the 'factors pertaining to school administrations'. In conclusion, the results of this research can help solve obstructive factors of elementary school food services and provide knowledge that is essential for the proper implementation of HACCP.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.562-570
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• 2019

The heavy metal concentrations in dried seafoods commonly consumed in Gyeonggi-do were analyzed. Concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) were measured in 95 samples with an inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and an Hg analyzer. The average concentration [mean±SD(minimum-maximum) mg/kg] of heavy metals were as follows: Pb 0.062±0.071(0.002-0.428), Cd 0.083±0.100(0.004-0.540), Hg 0.012±0.012(N.D-0.054) and Se 0.839±0.371(0.362-2.124). All the levels were below the recommended standards of the MFDS (Ministry of Food and Drug Safety). In the comparison of heavy metal content by anchovy size, it was shown that mercury was significantly higher in large anchovy (P<0.05). Selenium levels were found to differ significantly in small anchovy and large anchovy (P<0.05). Pb, Cd and Hg were significantly higher in Tiger prawn among shrimp (P<0.05). The heavy metal and selenium levels of anchovy and shad were highest in the intestine. However, the heavy metal and selenium levels of shrimp were highest in the head. In addition, weekly (monthly) intake of mercury and cadmium from dried seafoods was found to be 0.712% and 2.978% of PTW(M)I (Provisional Tolerable Weekly(Monthly) Intake) respectively. Therefore, it was found that dried seafoods were safe for consumption.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.9
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• pp.1071-1080
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• 2017

This study examined the adhesiveness of beneficial intestinal bacteria to whole-grains using confocal scanning laser microscopy (CLSM), to demonstrate the prebiotic effects of whole-grains, and to develop prebiotic puffed snacks with these whole-grains. CLSM has been used to observe the adhesiveness of Lactobacillus acidophilus, which belongs to beneficial intestinal bacteria, to whole-grain powders using optical sectioning techniques. The enhanced effects on the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria with the hot water grain extract were verified using an indirect count method. Finally, a puffed snack was produced with the prebiotic effect and the quality was evaluated by checking the chromaticity and degree of hardness. As a result, L. acidophilus exhibited adhesive ability to whole-grain powders and growth of selected beneficial intestinal bacteria were improved significantly. The Hunter L value of the developed puffed snack increased when seasoning was added. The hardness of the puffed snack with seasoning was higher than that of the control. The results of a sensory evaluation showed that the puffed snack with seasoning was highly rated in the overall preference compared to the control.

• Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.334-343
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• 2017

Eclipta prostrata and E. alba are annual herbal medicinal plants and have been used as Chinese medicinal tonics. Both species are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions as well as in Korea. Both species have similar morphological features but E. alba has smoother leaf blade margins compared with E. prostrata. Although both species are utilized as oriental medicines, E. prostrata is more widely used than E. alba. Morphological semblances have confounded identification of either species. Here, we report the complete chloroplast genomes of both species to provide an authentication system between the two species and understand their diversity. Both chloroplast genomes were 151,733-151,757 bp long and composed of a large single copy (83,285-83,300 bp), a small single copy (18,283-18,346 bp), and a pair of inverted repeats (25,075-25,063 bp). Gene annotation revealed 80 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that the genus Eclipta is grouped with Heliantheae tribe species in the Asteraceae family. A comparative analysis verified 29 InDels and 58 SNPs between chloroplast genomes of E. prostrata and E. alba. The low chloroplast genome sequence diversity indicates that both species are really close to each other and are not completely diverged yet. We developed six DNA markers that distinguish E. prostrata and E. alba based on the polymorphisms of chloroplast genomes between E. prostrata and E. alba. The chloroplast genome sequences and the molecular markers generated in this study will be useful for further research of Eclipta species and accurate classification of medicinal herbs.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.181-185
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• 2016

Human sparganosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with larval forms (procercoid/plerocercoid) of Spirometra spp. The purpose of this study was to identify Spirometra spp. of infected snakes using a multiplex PCR assay and phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequence data from the spargana of terrestrial snakes obtained from Korea and China. A total of 283 snakes were obtained that included 4 species of Colubridae comprising Rhabdophis tigrinus tigrinus (n=150), Dinodon rufozonatum rufozonatum (n=64), Elaphe davidi (n=2), and Elaphe schrenkii (n=7), and 1 species of Viperidae, Agkistrodon saxatilis (n=60). The snakes were collected from the provinces of Chungbuk, Chungnam, and Gyeongbuk in Korea (n=161), and from China (n=122). The overall infection rate with spargana was 83% (235/283). The highest was recorded for D. rufozonatum rufozonatum (100%), followed by A. saxatilis (85%) and R. tigrinus tigrinus (80%), with a negative result for E. davidi (0%) and E. schrenkii (0%). The sequence identities between the spargana from snakes (n=50) and Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (KJ599680) or S. decipiens (KJ599679) control specimens were 90.8% and 99.2%, respectively. Pairwise genetic distances between spargana (n=50) and S. decipiens ranged from 0.0080 to 0.0107, while those between spargana and S. erinaceieuropaei ranged from 0.1070 to 0.1096. In this study, all of the 904 spargana analyzed were identified as S. decipiens either by a multiplex PCR assay (n=854) or mitochondrial cox1 sequence analysis (n=50).

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.299-305
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• 2015

Tapeworms of the genus Spirometra are pseudophyllidean cestodes endemic in Korea. At present, it is unclear which Spirometra species are responsible for causing human infections, and little information is available on the epidemiological profiles of Spirometra species infecting humans in Korea. Between 1979 and 2009, a total of 50 spargana from human patients and 2 adult specimens obtained from experimentally infected carnivorous animals were analyzed according to genetic and taxonomic criteria and classified as Spirometra erinaceieuropaei or Spirometra decipiens depending on the morphology. Morphologically, S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens are different in that the spirally coiled uterus in S. erinaceieuropaei has 5-7 complete coils, while in S. decipiens it has only 4.5 coils. In addition, there is a 9.3% (146/1,566) sequence different between S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens in the cox1 gene. Partial cox1 sequences (390 bp) from 35 Korean isolates showed 99.4% (388/390) similarity with the reference sequence of S. erinaceieuropaei from Korea (G1724; GenBank KJ599680) and an additional 15 Korean isolates revealed 99.2% (387/390) similarity with the reference sequences of S. decipiens from Korea (G1657; GenBank KJ599679). Based on morphologic and molecular databases, the estimated population ratio of S. erinaceieuropaei to S. decipiens was 35: 15. Our results indicate that both S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens found in Korea infect humans, with S. erinaceieuropaei being 2 times more prevalent than S. decipiens. This study is the first to report human sparganosis caused by S. decipiens in humans in Korea.