• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.197-206
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to evaluate coastal erosion due to a sea-level rise. The shoreline retreat rate was calculated due to future sea-level rise. Shoreline retreat rates were quantified with the cross-sectional data of 23 sandy coasts (12 sites from east coast, 5 sites from south coast, and 6 sites of west coast) and 3 cross-sectional profiles from each side of the coasts in Korea. The theory of equilibrium beach profile was employed in this study to evaluate the applicability of the theory into the coast of Korea and was tested with 15 cross-sectional beach profiles. Four scenarios of future sea level rise such as 38 cm, 59 cm, 75 cm, and 100 cm were adopted to estimate the shoreline retreat rates. Overall shoreline retreat rates for the coasts in Korea were predicted as 43.7% for 38 cm, 60.3% for 59 cm, 69.2% for 75 cm, and 80.1% for 100 cm sea level rises, respectively. Retreat rates in the east coast (29.6% for 38 cm, 45.1% for 59 cm, 56.0% for 75 cm, and 69.9% for 100 cm) showed relatively low compared to the south coast (51.9%, 67.6%, 77.2%, 87.3%) and the west coast (53.8%, 71.0%, 78.5%, 86.4%). However, all sandy coasts in Korea were assessed to be vulnerable with increasing sea-level rise. There are uncertainties in the assessment of this study, which include the limitation of the assessment model and the lack of the spatio-temporal data of the beach profiles. Therefore, this study shows that it is very important to spend integrated efforts to respond coastal erosion including comprehensive observations(monitoring) and the development of scientific understanding on the field.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.147-154
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• 2011

Decision making in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Consultation on the Coastal Area Utilization (CCAU) is footing on the survey reports, thus requires concrete and accurate information on the natural habitats. In spite of the importance of reporting the ecological quality and status of habitats, the accumulated knowledge and recent techniques in ecology such as the use of investigated cases and indicators/indices have not been utilized in evaluation processes. Even the EIA report does not contain sufficient information required in a decision making process for conservation and development. In addition, for CCAU, sampling efforts were so limited that only two or a few stations were set in most study cases. This hampers transferring key ecological information to both specialist review and decision making processes. Hence, setting the effective number of sampling stations can be said as a prior step for better assessment. We introduced a few statistical techniques to determine the number of sampling stations in macrobenthos surveys. However, the application of the techniques requires a preliminary study that cannot be performed under the current assessment frame. An analysis of the spatial configuration of sampling stations from 19 previous studies was carried out as an alternative approach, based on the assumption that those configurations reported in scientific journal contribute to successful understanding of the ecological phenomena. The distance between stations and number of sampling stations in a $4{\times}4$ km unit area were calculated, and the medians of each parameter were 2.3 km, and 3, respectively. For each study, approximated survey area (ASA, $km^2$) was obtained by using the number of sampling stations in a unit area (NSSU) and total number of sampling stations (TNSS). To predict either appropriate ASA or NSSU/TNSS, we found and suggested statistically significant functional relationship among ASA, survey purpose and NSSU. This empirical approach will contribute to increasing sampling effort in a field survey and communicating with reasonable data and information in EIA and CCAU.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.45-58
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• 2012

For the development of reference values and evaluation of water quality in various environmental conditions, we divided the coastal region around Korean peninsular into 5 distinctive ecological regions based on the influence of surface current, depth, tidal range, turbidity, and climate condition. We used national marine environment monitoring data collected by National Fisheries Research & Development Institute(NFRDI) from 2000-2009. For the reference values, we used maximum seasonal mean from 2000 to 2007 for DIN, DIP, and chlorophyll-a and minimum seasonal mean for secchi depth measured at stations without the influence of river runoff in each ecological regions. For the reference value of bottom dissolved oxygen saturation, we used minimum mean value of 90% calculated from minimal riverine influence stations of whole regions. We calculated enrichment score for each assessment criteria. The enrichment score of DIN, DIP, and Chlorophyll-a was 1 (=< reference value), 2 (< 110% of reference value), 3 (< 125% of reference value), 4 (< 150% of reference value), and 5 (> 150% of reference value). The enrichment score of DO saturation and Secchi depth was 1 (> reference value), 2 (> 90% of reference value), 3 (>75 % of reference value), 4 (> 50% of reference value), and 5 (< 50% of reference value). We calculated water quality index using weighted linear combination of five enrichment score for the comparison of whole regions. From the water quality index distribution calculated from all stations between 2000 and 2007 period, we classified into 5 grade based on the standard deviation calculated from total water quality index. We assigned grade very good(I), good(II), moderate(III), bad(IV), and very bad(V) when the water quality index was less than 23, minimum + 1 sd, +2 sd, +3 sd, and grater than minium+ 3 sd, respectively.

• Pediatric Infection and Vaccine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.202-208
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• 2016

Purpose: Rotavirus vaccine (RV) was introduced in Korea since 2007, and intussusception (IS) remains an important safety concern. This study investigated the trend of IS occurrence related to RV as well as the temporal relevance between vaccination and IS in children. Methods: We collected data of the patient aged ${\leq}18$ years with IS admitted to Gachon University Gil Medical Center, 2003 to 2015. For the patients that have occurred since 2008, the immunization records of RV were collected. The proportion of cases <1 year was calculated by the year and the temporal relationship between vaccination and IS occurrence was analyzed. Results: A total of 696 IS cases were noted. The cases <1 year were 30.7% (214/696). Although the incidence of all IS has increased over the 13-year period (from 74.1 in 2003 to 89.5 in 2015, linear by linear association, P=0.003), the incidence of IS <1 year has not increased (from 56.9 in 2003 to 53.3 in 2015, P=0.910), and the proportion of cases <1 year has decreased (from 35.4 in 2003 to 18.8 in 2015, P=0.000). Of 128 cases <1 year since 2008, 53.9% received RV. In the vaccinated group, 10 cases of IS occurred within 30 days, and eight cases did within 31 to 60 days. Numbers of IS after first, second, and third dose were three, 10, and five cases, respectively. Conclusions: Occurrence of IS in children <1 year of age did not increase since the introduction of RV. Further monitoring is essential for evaluation of vaccine safety.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.310-319
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• 2001

Background : The peak flowmeter is very useful in monitoring of out-patients as well as those in emergency departments because of its convenience and simplicity with low cost. There have been many studies aimed at determining the accuracy and reproducibility of the peak flow meter in normal population. However, there is a paucity of reports regarding its accuracy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD) or asthma. The accuracy of the peak expiratory flow(PEF) measured with a mini-Wright peak flowmeter was assessed by a comparison with the results of a mass flow sensor. Methods : The PEF measurements were performed in 108 patients aged 19-82 years presenting with either a chronic obstructive lung disease or asthma before and after inhaling salbutamol. The PEF measurements from the mini-Wright flowmeter were compared with those obtained by the calibrated mass flow sensor. Results : The average of the readings taken by the mini-Wright meter were 37-39 l/min higher than those taken by the mass flow sensor. The average percentage error of the mini-Wright meter were higher, ranging less than 300 l/min. The mean of the differences between the values obtained using both instruments (the bias)$\pm$limits of agreement(${\pm}2$ SD) were $37.1{\pm}90\;l/min$ for the PEF(p<0.001). Conclusions : The mini-Wright peak flowmeter overestimated the flows in patients with COPD or asthma. It was also found that the accuracy of the mini-Wright peak flowmeter decreased in its mid to low range. The limits of agreement are wide and the difference between the two instruments is significant. Therefore, the measurements made between the two types of machines in patients with asthma or COPD cannot be used interchangeably.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2010

This study was conducted to monitor aflatoxins in various medicinal herbs, providing available data for the safety of those products. To monitor aflatoxins in medicinal herbs, a total of 400 samples of 40 different herbs were collected in commercial retailers in Seoul, Daejeon, Gwangju, Daegu, and Busan from March to August, 2008. The samples that passed the sensory evaluation were tested for aflatoxins. Aflatoxins in samples were analyzed by HPLC-florescence coupled with photochemical enhancement. Samples were extracted with 70% methanol and then diluted to the appropriate concentration. A refining process was performed using an immunoaffinity column. The analytical method used in this study was validated. The $R^2$ value for aflatoxin $B_1$ was 0.99946, and the detection range was from 0.25 to 10.0 ng/mL. The accuracy of the analysis was ranged from 83.2% to 101.8%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) in the aflatoxin $B_1$ analysis was 3.4%, demonstrating the precision of this method. In addition, the detection limit and quantitative analysis limit of aflatoxin $B_1$ was $0.53\;{\mu}g/kg$ and $1.76\;{\mu}g/kg$, respectively. These results indicated that the analytical method used in this study was appropriate. The results of HPLC showed that 1% (4 samples) of the samples may contain aflatoxins. The concentration of quantified aflatoxin was $2.3\;{\mu}g/kg$ for both Quisqualis fructus and Remotiflori radix samples. The other samples were below the limit of quantification. Moreover, the concentration of aflatoxin $B_1$ which is made by specific fungi were below the level of regulation. Only 20% of aflatoxin $B_1$ were transferred to hot water. Therefore, the levels of aflatoxins in medicinal herbs were considered to be safe especially considering the aflatoxin transfer ratio.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.391-402
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• 2013

Pesticide residues in agricultural products in Korea were evaluated to create a data base to inform food policy. Pesticide residues were investigated in 17 commodities collected from 9 provinces in 2012. Our analytical method of multiresidue analysis, involved the analysis of individual recovery, linearity, limit of detection, and limit of quantitation of 60 pesticides in six matrices. The pesticides, including acetamiprid and forchlorofenuron, were evaluated in 358 agricultural samples by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Twenty three pesticides were detected from 67 samples. The results showed that the ratio of estimated daily intake to acceptable daily intake was 0.00009-0.0861% by the intake assessment, which means that residual pesticides in agricultural products in Korea are properly controlled.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.148-153
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• 2005

Malaria is a re-emerging infectious disease that is spreading to areas where it had been eradicated, such as Eastern Europe and Central Asia. To avoid the mortality from malaria, early detection of the parasite is a very important issue. The peripheral blood smear has been the gold standard method for the diagnosis of malaria infection. Recently, several other methods have been introduced for quantitative detection of malaria parasites. Real time PCR that employs fluorescent labels to enable the continuous monitoring of PCR product formation throughout the reaction has recently been used to detect several human malaria parasites. 18S rRNA sequences from malaria parasites have been amplified using Taqman real time PCR assay. Here, a SYBR Green-based real time quantitative PCR assay for the detection of malaria parasite-especially, Plasmodium vivax - was applied for the evaluation of 26 blood samples from Korean malaria patients. Even though SYBR Green-based real time PCR is easier and cheaper than Taqman-based assay, SYBR Green-based assay cannot be used because 18S rRNA cannot be specifically amplified using 1 primer set. Therefore, we used DBP gene sequences from Plasmodium vivax, which is specific for the SYBR Green based assays. We amplified the DBP gene from the 26 blood samples of malaria patients using SYBR Green based assay and obtained the copy numbers of DBP genes for each sample. Also, we selected optimal reference gene between ACTB and B2M using real time assay to get the stable genes regardless of Malaria titer. Using selected ACTB reference genes, we successfully converted the copy numbers from samples into titer, ${\sharp}$ of parasites per microliter. Using the resultant titer from DBP based SYBER Green assay with ACTB reference gene, we compared the results from our study with the titer from Taqman-based assay. We found that our results showed identical tendency with the results of 18S rRNA Taqman assay, especially in lower titer range. Thus, our DBP gene-utilized real time assay can detect Plasmodium vivax in Korean patient group semi-quantitatively and easily.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.97-105
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• 2009

A constructed wetland which was composed of aerobic and anaerobic areas was evaluated for 3 years to effectively treat the sewage produced in farming and fishing communities. For 3 years in a constructed wetland, biochemical oxygen demand(BOD), chemical oxygen demand(COD), suspended solids(SS), total nitrogen(T-N), and total phosphorus(T-P) in effluent were 0.2${\sim}$11.8, 1.0${\sim}$41.9, 1.1${\sim}$6.5, 4${\sim}$60 and 0.02${\sim}$3.51 mg/L, respectively. Removal rate of BOD, COD and SS in effluent were 97, 92 and 99%, respectively, in the third year. As time goes by, removal rate of T-N and T-P in treated water in aerobic area and effluent were gradually increased in a constructed wetland. In the third year, removal rate in effluent were 62 and 73%, respectively. By the seasons, removal rate of BOD, COD, SS, T-N and T-P were 97${\sim}$98, 87${\sim}$91, 99, 43${\sim}$61 and 76${\sim}$86%, respectively. Removal rate of BOD, COD, SS and T-P were not affected by the seasons, but that of T-N in winter and spring were decreased than the other seasons.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.421-430
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• 2004

Clinically, it is almost impossible for a physician to distinguish subtle changes of frequency spectrum by using a stethoscope alone especially in the early stage of thrombus formation. Considering that reliability of mechanical valve is paramount because the failure might end up with patient death, early detection of valve thrombus using noninvasive technique is important. Thus the study was designed to provide a tool for early noninvasive detection of valve thrombus by observing shift of frequency spectrum of acoustic signals with computer aid diagnosis system. A thrombus model was constructed on commercialized mechanical valves using polyurethane or silicon. Polyurethane coating was made on the valve surface, and silicon coating on the sewing ring of the valve. To simulate pannus formation, which is fibrous tissue overgrowth obstructing the valve orifice, the degree of silicone coating on the sewing ring varied from 20％, 40％, 60％ of orifice obstruction. In experiment system, acoustic signals from the valve were measured using microphone and amplifier. The microphone was attached to a coupler to remove environmental noise. Acoustic signals were sampled by an AID converter, frequency spectrum was obtained by the algorithm of spectral analysis. To quantitatively distinguish the frequency peak of the normal valve from that of the thrombosed valves, analysis using a neural network was employed. A return map was applied to evaluate continuous monitoring of valve motion cycle. The in-vivo data also obtained from animals with mechanical valves in circulatory devices as well as patients with mechanical valve replacement for 1 year or longer before. Each spectrum wave showed a primary and secondary peak. The secondary peak showed changes according to the thrombus model. In the mock as well as the animal study, both spectral analysis and 3-layer neural network could differentiate the normal valves from thrombosed valves. In the human study, one of 10 patients showed shift of frequency spectrum, however the presence of valve thrombus was yet to be determined. Conclusively, acoustic signal measurement can be of suggestive as a noninvasive diagnostic tool in early detection of mechanical valve thrombosis.