• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.667-675
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• 2020

Objectives: Exposure to fine dust (PM10) could contribute to the occurrence of cardiovascular disease or respiratory abnormalities. Since garlic is known to possess an anti-oxidative stress effect, the present study was performed to evaluate the effect of garlic intake on fine dust-mediated pulmonary toxicity. Methods: Rats were intratracheally instilled with fine dust at 15 mg/kg body weight (BW)/day for five days following five-day intragastric intubation of garlic at 0.7 or 1.4 g/kgBW/day, or 13.1 mg/kgBW/day S-allyl-cysteine (SAC) as a reference component in garlic. Blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected. Results: Deposit of fine dust was visually and histopathologically observed in the lungs. Body weight gain during the instillation period was significantly lowered in all the groups instilled with fine dust. Neutrophil numbers in blood were significantly elevated in the fine dust alone group, but this alteration was diminished in the groups administered with garlic. Levels of serum glutathione were lower in the rats instilled with fine dust alone, and this decrease in the glutathione level seems dose-dependently compensated among the groups administered with garlic. Similar findings were observed in the BALF with statistical significance. Typical pulmonary histopathological observation related with inflammation was demonstrated in the lungs of the rats exposed to fine dust alone, whereas such histopathologic findings were not improved in the groups administered with garlic. Conclusion: The present study suggests that garlic intake could alleviate fine dust-mediated pulmonary or systemic toxicities. Further investigation is necessary to delineate the mechanism of garlic-mediated effects on pulmonary function.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.1
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• pp.35-45
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• 2021

Adult echinostomes having 37 collar spines collected from the intestine of Pitalah ducks in Aceh Province, Indonesia in 2018 were morphologically and molecularly determined to be Echinostoma miyagawai Ishii, 1932 (Digenea: Echinostomatidae). Among 20 ducks examined, 7 (35.0%) were found to be infected with this echinostome, and the number of flukes collected was 48 in total with average 6.9 (1-17) worms per duck. The adult flukes were 7.2 (6.1-8.5) mm in length and 1.2 (1.0-1.4) mm in width (pre-ovarian or testicular level) and characterized by having a head collar armed with 37 collar spines (dorsal spines arranged in 2 alternating rows), including 5 end group spines, and variable morphology of the testes, irregularly or deeply lobed (3-5 lobes) at times with horizontal extension. The eggs within the worm uterus were 93 (79-105) ㎛ long and 62 (56-70) ㎛ wide. These morphological features were consistent with both E. miyagawai and Echinostoma robustum, for which synonymy to each other has been raised. Sequencing of 2 mitochondrial genes, cox1 and nad1, revealed high homology with E. miyagawai (98.6-100% for cox1 and 99.0-99.8% for nad1) and also with E. robustum (99.3-99.8% for nad1) deposited in GenBank. We accepted the synonymy between the 2 species and diagnosed our flukes as E. miyagawai (syn. E. robustum) with redescription of its morphology. Further studies are required to determine the biological characteristics of E. miyagawai in Aceh Province, Indonesia, including the intermediate host and larval stage information.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.371-382
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• 2020

There have been continuous attempts to quantify sensory attributes of cosmetic products by measuring relevant physical properties. The most representative method to evaluate stickiness is to measure axial force using texture analyzer. Stickiness is known to correlate with AUC which abbreviates area under curve in the obtained axial force curve as a function of time. Recently, Normandie University research group developed in vivo stickiness evaluation method considering the characteristics of skin along with established evaluation method[8]. Based on the study, we tried to optimize in vivo stickiness evaluation method especially for cosmetic creams. The experiment was carried out on 5 different facial creams products by changing the amount and the times of rolling of creams, and the shape and material of probes. Based on the results of the sensory evaluation, the most consistent conditions were established as the optimal evaluation method. As a result, applying 70 μL of cream and rubbing 10 times for 7 s inside the 3.4 cm circle were judged to be suitable. As for the probes, spherical metallic probe was more proper due to its reproducibility. We conducted the settled method on 10 subjects to check its validity. Although the absolute values of AUC differed depending on the individuals, the AUC values were all ranked the same. Finally, for the standardization of stickiness of AUC, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was set as a reference material and we measured AUC of its aqueous solution by changing concentration. Then, the degree of stickiness recognition for 5 different creams was surveyed to check the correlation between AUC and stickiness.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.490-502
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• 2021

Horticultural facility farmers subscribe to crop accident insurance and insurance products secured by horticultural facilities in preparation for possible risks in the facility. Insurance is purchased to prepare for natural disasters such as typhoons, hail, frostbite, heavy rain, and strong wind damage covered by the product. In order to find out the effect of risk perception, which is a subjective perception of the risks of a given situation, on horticultural facility farmers' intention to purchase horticultural facility insurance products, the risk perception and insurance purchase intention were analyzed. A t-test was conducted to determine the impact relationship between farm size, insurance coverage, and risk perception, and multiple regression analysis was conducted to verify the effect of personal characteristics and behavioral factors such as subjective perception, reference group, media exposure, and compensation understanding. In addition, a three-step regression analysis by Baron & Kenny was conducted to confirm the mediating role of personal characteristics and behavioral factors in the relationship between risk perception and insurance purchase intention. As a result of the study, although there was no difference in farm size, it was analyzed that policy holders had a higher degree of risk perception than non-subscribers, and that compensation understanding had the greatest influence and subjective knowledge had the smallest influence. In addition, these four factors were verified to have a mediating effect on the relationship between risk perception and insurance purchase intention. These results are expected to provide practical help to the development and marketing activities of horticultural facility insurance products.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.4
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• pp.538-547
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• 2022

In this study, the population and community structure of Berchemia berchemiaefolia stands located at Mt. Naeyon (Gyeongbuk, Korea) were quantified, and multivariate analysis was done to determine the correlations between vegetation group types and environmental factors and to have reference data for the conservation and restoration of this species. In total, there were 164 B. berchemiaefolia trees in Mt. Naeyon. The average DBH of the trees was 24.5 cm, forming a normal distribution. It rarely appeared in an understory vegetation height of 3 m. About37.1% of the trees were branched. B. berchemiaefolia stands were classified into two groups: B. berchemiaefolia-Quercus serrata community and B. berchemiaefolia-Carpinus laxiflora community. Canopy gap, organic matter, exchangeable Ca, and cation exchange capacity were the major site characteristics affecting the distribution pattern of the stands. Currently, B. berchemiaefolia trees dominate in Mt. Naeyon, but depending on different habitat positions, the species was in a natural successional stage to C. laxiflora or C. cordata, which is a shade-tolerant species.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.127-132
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• 2021

Purpose: It is known that the most common cause of gas poisoning in Korea is suicide attempts by burning ignition coals. Ignition coals are made from waste wood, and studies have been reported that heavy metals are emitted when this coal is burned. However, there was no study on how much heavy metal poisoning occurs in the human body through this, so this study was planned to find out whether the concentration of heavy metals in the blood increased in patients exposed to ignition coal combustion. Methods: From April 2020 to April 2021, blood lead, mercury, and cadmium concentrations were investigated in carbon monoxide poisoning patients who visited one regional emergency medical center in Seoul, and their association with exposure time, source of poisoning, and rhabdomyolysis were investigated. Results: During the study period, a total of 136 carbon monoxide poisoning patients were tested for heavy metals, and 81 cases of poisoning by ignition coal were reported. When comparing poisoning caused by combustion of ignition coal and other substances, there was no difference in the concentrations of lead, mercury, and cadmium in the blood, and there was no difference in the number of patients above the reference range. However, the patients exposed to more than 5 hours of ignition coal gas exposure are more frequent than those in the group less than 5 hours in lead (51.4% vs. 23.9%, p=0.012). Conclusion: Compared to poisoning with other combustible substances, the blood concentration of lead, mercury, and cadmium does not increase further in patients with gas poisoning by ignition coal. However, prolonged exposure may result in elevated levels of lead.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.391-403
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• 2023

Purpose: This study evaluated the validity of a physical activity classification table (PACT) based on total energy expenditure (TEE) and physical activity level (PAL) measured using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method in Korean adults and the elderly. Methods: A total of 141 (male 70, female 71) adults and elderly were included. The reference standards TEE_DLW, PAL_DLW were measured over a 14-day period using DLW. A 24-hour physical activity diary was kept for three days (two days during the week and one day on the weekend). PAL_PACT was calculated by classifying the activity type and intensity using the PACT. PAL_PACT was multiplied by resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry to estimate TEE_PACT. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 50.5 ± 18.8 years, and the mean body mass index was 23.4 ± 3.3 kg/m². A comparison of TEE_DLW and TEE_PACT by sex and age showed no significant differences. The bias, the difference between TEE_DLW and TEE_PACT, was male 17.3 kcal/day and female -4.5 kcal/day. The percentage of accurate predictions (values within ± 10% of the TEE_DLW) of TEE_PACT was 58.6% in males and 54.9% in females, with the highest prediction values in the age group 40-64 years (70.9%) in males and over 65 years (73.9%) in females. The spearman correlation coefficient (r) between TEE_PACT and TEE_DLW was 0.769, indicating a significant positive correlation (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In this study, the use of a new PACT for calculating TEE and PAL was evaluated as valid. A web version of the software program and a smartphone application need to be developed using PACT to make it easier to apply for research purposes.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.105-112
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• 2023

Lycopene, a carotenoid hydrocarbon is known to have effects on reducing cardiovascular risk factors, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Thus, a lot of supplementary foods with lycopene in several dosage forms like soft capsule filled with liquid and hard capsule filled with powder are available in a market. Recently, however, our research group found that the lycopene assay in Supplementary Food Code of South Korea is only valid for oily lycopene preparation. Thus, here, we developed a simple method to determine lycopene in solid preparations for Supplementary Food Code of South Korea using saponification and liquid chromatography with an absorbance detector. The method was validated following Ministry of Food and Drug Safety guidelines. All validation parameters observed in this study were within acceptable criteria of the guidelines (selectivity, linearity of r² ≥ 0.991, lower limit of quantification of 0.0149 mg/mL, accuracy as recovery (R) between 92.70 and 97.18 %, repeatability as relative standard deviation (RSD) values of R between 0.85 and 1.59 %, and reproducibility as the RSD value of interlaboratory R of 3.70 %). Additionally, the practical sample applicability of the validated method was confirmed by accuracy between 98.81 and 101.59 % observed from its lycopene certified reference material (CRM) analyses. Therefore, the present method could contribute to fortify the supplementary food safety management system in South Korea.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Dental Administration
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of toothbrush bacterial growth, whether the dryness of the toothbrush head differs depending on the number of holes in the head, and to use these results as a reference for future toothbrush design. Two-millimeter holes were created on the head of the toothbrushes in groups of three, one, or zero holes. We made the solution with Streptococcus mutans, and the toothbrushes were placed in the solution and agitated. The toothbrushes were shaken to remove moisture and allowed to air-dry. The toothbrush heads were swabbed with saline and then placed in two inoculation groups. The first group was inoculated with a 102 dilution of the S. mutans culture and the second was inoculated with the original culture. After incubation, bacterial colony numbers were measured. The number of holes on the toothbrush head correlated with a decrease in number of cultured bacterial colonies. Our model of a toothbrush head with holes indicated that these holes in the toothbrush head were effective in reducing the level of microbial contamination and that a greater number of holes creates an improved toothbrush sanitation effect. The average number of colonies on the head of toothbrush by number of holes was high, followed by the number of holes 0, 1 and 3, and the average number of colony among toothbrush heads was same. The use of a toothbrush with holes between the toothbrush head indicates that it is effective in reducing the level of microbial contamination between the toothbrush head and toothbrush and the higher the number of holes, the better the effect.

• The Journal of Bigdata
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.213-224
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• 2022

In logistics and distribution, Market Basket Analysis (MBA) is used as an important means to analyze the correlation between major sales products and to increase internal operational efficiency. In particular, the results of market basket analysis are used as important reference data for decision-making processes such as product purchase prediction, product recommendation, and product display structure in stores. With the recent development of e-commerce, the number of items handled by a single distribution and logistics company has rapidly increased, And the existing analytical methods such as Apriori and FP-Growth have slowed down due to the exponential increase in the amount of calculation and applied to actual business. There is a limit to examining important association rules to overcome this limitation, In this study, at the Main-Category level, which is the highest classification system of products, the utility item set mining technique that can consider the sales volume of products together was used to first select a group of products mainly sold together. Then, at the sub-category level, the types of products sold together were identified using FP-Growth. By using this sequential layer filtering technique, it may be possible to reduce the unnecessary calculations and to find practically usable rules for enhancing the effectiveness and profitability.