• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.227-234
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• 1999

An association of low total cholesterol in blood with psychiatric diseases and suicidal behavior has been suggested. As part of an attempt to further explore this relationship, we examine first, whether serum cholesterol levels in psychiatric patients with suicidal attempt would be lower than in non-suicidal psychiatric inpatients or normal controls, second, whether such significant difference of cholesterol levels would be present when the diagnostic groups are analyzed separately, third, whether low cholesterol level would be associated with a history of serious suicidal attempts, and finally, whether low cholesterol level in suicide attempters is a state or a trait marker. We determined the serum cholesterol levels in 231 patients admitted to an emergency room following an suicidal attempt, in the same numbers of age-, sex- and diagnosis- matched non-suicidal psychiatric controls, and in the same numbers of age-, sex matched normal controls. The seriousness of an attempt was divided into 5 grades according to the degree of the resulting medical injury. Total cholesterol levels in suicide attempters were significantly lower compared with both psychiatric and normal controls, when sex, age, and nutritional status (i.e., body mass index) were controlled for. This significant relationship was observed in major depressive disorders and personality disorders, but not in schizophrenia and bipolar type I disorders. The severity of suicide by a lowering of blood cholesterol was related to the magnitude of the cholesterol reduction. After treatment of their psychiatric ailments, the cholesterol levels in suicide attempters were significantly increased. This result suggests that low cholesterol level in psychiatric patients might be a potential biological marker of suicide risk. It is hypothesized that low cholesterol levels is associated with the suicide by modifying the serotonin metabolism, the production of interleukin-2 and melatonin metabolism in psychiatric patients.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.419-424
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• 2007

The contents were investigated by the monitoring survey from the soils and tailings caused by numerous abandoned mines in Korea. Cause heavy metals due to abandoned metal mines are raising significant environmental problems. But it is an important key such as a leaching and a transfer mechanism to evaluate contamination levels caused by abandoned mines. In this study the column test was carried in order to calculate a leaching level from soils and tailings. It was demonstrated that the leaching of Pb, Cd and Mn was expressed with similar behaviors and that of As and Cu was expressed with similar behaviors. For Zn, the leaching behavior was shown a serious leaching level with 40 mg/kg during the 45days. This was explained by Zn high contents of soils Zn in a natural world and ORP conditions where the leaching of Zn was occurred easily. Hence it was necessary that the survey of ORP was a key as well as total contents for the management of abandoned metal mines. We could estimate the chemical forms of heavy metals using the physical index such as ORP and pH and reduce the risk from heavy metals caused by abandoned metal mines.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.450-457
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• 2018

Purpose: The evaluation of seismic performance of critical structures has been emerging a key issue in Korea, since a magnitude 5.8 earthquake, the worst in Koran history, struck Gyeongju, southern area in Korea on september 12th, 2016. In particular, the catastrophic failure of nonstructural components such as sprinkler piping systems can cause significant economic loss or loss of life during and after an earthquake. The nonstructural components can be more fragile than structural components in seismic behavior. Method: This study presents the seismic performance evaluation of fire protection piping system, using coupled building-piping system installed with Triple Friction Pendulum Bearings (TPBs). Kobe (Japan), Kocaeli (Turkey), and GyeongJu (Korea) were selected to consider the uncertainty of ground motions in this study. Result: In the simulation results, it was observed that the reduction of maximum displacements of the piping system with the TPBs' system was significant: Kobe, Kocaeli, and Gyeongju cases were 49%, 14.4% and 21.5%, respectively. Conclusion: Therefore, using seismically isolated system in a building-piping system can be more effective to reduce the seismic risk than a normally installed building-piping systems without TPBs in strong earthquakes.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.74-91
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• 2023

Several that analyzed the effectiveness of traffic safety facilities a method of comparing changes in the number of accidents, accident severity, speed through traffic accident data before and after installation or speed data collected from vehicle detection systems (VDS). , when traffic accident data is used, it takes a long time to collect because must be collected for at least one year before and after installation. , the road environment may change during this period, such as the addition of other traffic safety facilities in addition to the facilities to be analyzed. , the location of the VDSs for speed data is often different from the location where analysis is required, and there is a problem in that the investigators are exposed to the risk of traffic accident during on-site investigation. Therefore, this study a case study by establishing a methodology to determine effectiveness video images with a drone, extracting data using a program, and comparing vehicle driving speeds before and after speed reduction facilities. Vehicle speed surveys using drones are much safer than observational surveys conducted on highways and have the advantage of tracking speed changes along the vehicle, it is expected that they will be used for various traffic surveys in the future.

• Korea Science and Art Forum
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.297-308
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• 2019

Air pollution due to the fine dust level updating every day, and the problem of indoor air pollution due to ventilation difficulties and indoor discharge pollutants is also serious. In order to improve the indoor air quality, the air purification effect using the plants is prominent. In this study was started to investigated the living environment of modern people, the risk of indoor air pollution and the improvement function of plants, and to activate plant application. The purpose of this study is to analyze the main functions and design status of domestic and overseas plant - related applications, and to understand the actual use of modern plant applications and to help them learn more convenient plant - related knowledge. Therefore, this paper attempted to establish a basis for suggesting a new plant application by conducting a survey on the health effects of indoor air pollution and user awareness of plant - related applications. The results and contents of the study are as follows. First, as a theoretical review, indoor air pollution is more dangerous to modern people who have a high proportion of indoor living time and adversely affects their health. In order to solve such a problem, it has been shown that air conditioning and stress reduction can be effectively achieved by placing plants in the indoor space. Second, the analysis of the previous study shows the risk of indoor air pollution and its adverse effects on health. In addition, I have been able to find some researches related to the improvement of the indoor air by using the air purifying plants, and I can see the improvement of the user's behavior through the development or improvement of the application. Third, as a result of the survey on the status of domestic and overseas plant application, the main function of the application having high installation number was watering notification, provision of basic information of plants, and most of the functions were plant discerment through cameras. Fourth, most of the survey respondents have either raised or raised plants. Those who have little experience with plant applications have also shown positive feedback in the future on the use of plant-related applications. In addition, due to social problems such as air pollution, air purification using plants and functional plants showed high interest. Based on these results, we propose the need for a multi-functional plant application that can improve the indoor air pollution and facilitate the provision of information related to it.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.128-134
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• 2012

Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is one of the most notorious and contagious viral diseases afflicting cloven-hoofed animals. In this study, the physicochemical properties of leachate from a FMD landfill site at 773-1, Waryong, Andong, Korea and the ground water from 777, Waryong, Andong, Korea, were analyzed for 1 year from December $10^{th}$ 2010 to November $17^{th}$ 2011. The leachate was collected from the FMD landfill site during March, May, July, September and November, 2011 and changes in pH, brix, water content, insoluble solids, crude proteins, crude lipids, total and reducing sugars and ash content were determined. Considering the annual profiles of temperature and rainfall at the FMD landfill site, the dramatic changes in the physicochemical properties of the leachate from March to July, and especially from May to July, such as increases in pH, and a rapid reduction of brix and organic matter, may be closely linked to the growth of microorganisms in the leachate. The sharp decreases in the concentration of biominerals, such as Mg, Ca, and Fe from 1073, 4311 and 56.2 ppm in March to 151, 78, and 0.1 ppm in November, further suggest that decreases in organic matter in the leachate result from degradation by microorganisms originating from the intestines of the livestock. Analysis of the profiles of the organic materials in the leachate revealed that the properties of the leachate were similar to those of excremental matter-derived water. These results could be applied to a number of fields for the analysis of organic matter behavior, the development of the degradation process, and risk analysis in the environment for hygiene and food industries, of leachate from FMD landfill sites.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.24-34
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• 2008

To mitigate the climate change and global warming, various technologies have been internationally proposed for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Especially, in recent, carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology is regarded as one of the most promising emission reduction options that $CO_2$ be captured from major point sources (eg., power plant) and transported for storage into the marine geological structure such as deep sea saline aquifer. The purpose of this paper is to review the latest progress on the development of technologies for $CO_2$ storage in marine geological structure and its perspective in republic of Korea. To develop the technologies for $CO_2$ storage in marine geological structure, we carried out relevant R&D project, which cover the initial survey of potentially suitable marine geological structure fur $CO_2$ storage site and monitoring of the stored $CO_2$ behavior, basic design for $CO_2$ transport and storage process including onshore/offshore plant and assessment of potential environmental risk related to $CO_2$ storage in geological structure in republic of Korea. By using the results of the present researches, we can contribute to understanding not only how commercial scale (about 1 $MtCO_2$) deployment of $CO_2$ storage in the marine geological structure of East Sea, Korea, is realized but also how more reliable and safe CCS is achieved. The present study also suggests that it is possible to reduce environmental cost (about 2 trillion Won per year) with developed technology for $CO_2$ storage in marine geological structure until 2050.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.836-845
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• 1999

Background : Obesity is present in the majority of adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea(OSA) and is considered to be a major risk factor for its development. A reduction in body weight has been associated with substantial improvement in the severity of apnea. However, a variety of treatment strategies for obesity have yielded limited sucess. This study was done to determine resting energy expenditure(REE) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and the correlation between the severity of sleep apnea and REE, and to investigate whether leptin influences REE and correlated with the severity of sleep apnea in 39 patients with OSA and 45 controls matched for obesity. Method : Overnight polysomnography was performed on all subjects using standard techniques. Measurements of REE were made using a Sensormedic Vmax 229 and a canopy system. Serum leptin concentration was measured by human leptin RIA kit of LINCO Research INC. Results : REE was greater in patients with OSA compared with controls, but there was no difference between the two groups on REE%. And also there was no significant correlation between anthropometric data, polysomnographic data and REE%. Serum leptin was linearly related to body mass index(BMI), apnea index, apnea hypopnea index and lowest arterial oxygen saturation($SaO_2$) but not related to REE%. Conclusion : This study suggests the followings. Firstly patients patients with sleep apnea have a pattern of obesity characterized by energy homeostasis at an elevated body weight set-point. In order to achieve a lower body weight in these patients, it may be necessary to increase energy expenditure by increasing physical activity. Secondly leptin level was not correlated with REE, suggesting that leptin may predominantly regulate body fat by altering eating behavior rather than calorigenesis. Lastly leptin level was significantly correlated with the severity of sleep apnea. These elevated level of leptin in patients of sleep apnea may be related to the obesity, however it needs further studies to determine the relationship between the severity of sleep apnea and serum leptin.