• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.55-61
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• 2021

In this study, microbes were collected before and after disinfection using ANIOS(ANIOSURF Premium NPC) and compared the areas where the radiological technologist and the patient frequently contacted the chest X-ray. From September 1st to September 7th, 2020. in P Hospital in Deagu, 4 region were collected in a 10×10 size using a sterile cotton swab of the transport medium, and before and after disinfection results were obtained through the colorimetric method. As a result, n the X-ray tube handle Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus spp., Candida spp., and in the Chin region Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcu faecium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, NTM, and in the Chest region Proteus mirabilis, Enterococcu faecium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and in the Palm region NTM, Candida spp. were detected, and 103 CFU(Colony Forming Unit) or more were measured. After disinfection, only X-ray tube handle was detect Bacillus spp. and more than 102 CFU was measured. Microorganisms found prior to disinfection can cause opportunistic infections, Experimental results showed that Aniosulf(0.25%) is more economical and disinfectant than ethanol(70-90%) and isopropyl alcohol(70-90%). However, further research is needed on the detection of Bacillus spp. resultingly this research is useful basic data of infection control in Radiography room and prevention secondary infections.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.21-30
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• 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to suggest an optimal method by comparing the analysis methods of work environment measurement datasets including left-censored data where one or more measurements are below the limit of detection (LOD). Methods: A computer program was used to generate left-censored datasets for various combinations of censoring rate (1% to 90%) and sample size (30 to 300). For the analysis of the censored data, the simple substitution method (LOD/2), β-substitution method, maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method, Bayesian method, and regression on order statistics (ROS)were all compared. Each method was used to estimate four parameters of the log-normal distribution: (1) geometric mean (GM), (2) geometric standard deviation (GSD), (3) 95th percentile (X95), and (4) arithmetic mean (AM) for the censored dataset. The performance of each method was evaluated using relative bias and relative root mean squared error (rMSE). Results: In the case of the largest sample size (n=300), when the censoring rate was less than 40%, the relative bias and rMSE were small for all five methods. When the censoring rate was large (70%, 90%), the simple substitution method was inappropriate because the relative bias was the largest, regardless of the sample size. When the sample size was small and the censoring rate was large, the Bayesian method, the β-substitution method, and the MLE method showed the smallest relative bias. Conclusions: The accuracy and precision of all methods tended to increase as the sample size was larger and the censoring rate was smaller. The simple substitution method was inappropriate when the censoring rate was high, and the β-substitution method, MLE method, and Bayesian method can be widely applied.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.495-507
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• 2021

Objectives: This study examined regional differences in the intake of dietary total fat and saturated fatty acid (SFA) and their food sources among Korean adults. We also investigated the associations of SFA intake with metabolic diseases by region. Methods: This study included 13,926 adults (≥ 19y) who participated in the 2016 ~ 2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. The regions were divided into urban and rural areas according to the administrative districts where the participants lived. Using dietary data obtained from a 24-h recall, intake of total fat and SFA and their food sources were assessed by region. Metabolic diseases included obesity, abdominal obesity, and elevated total cholesterol and their association with SFA intake by region were examined using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the participants, 19.6% lived in rural areas. In urban areas, the total fat and SFA intakes were higher than in rural areas: 21.2% of energy (%E) came from total fat and 6.9%E from SFA in urban areas, whereas 18.0%E came from total fat and 5.8%E from SFA in rural areas. The percentage of participants who exceeded the dietary reference intakes for total fat and SFA in urban areas was 16.5% and 41.9%, respectively, but 43.4% of participants in rural areas showed lower intake levels for total fat compared to the reference level. Young adults did not show regional differences in fat intake, and the percentage of subjects who exceeded the reference for SFA was high both in urban (58.5%) and rural (55.7%) areas. Among middle-aged and older adults, intake of fatty acids except for n-3 fatty acid was significantly higher in urban areas than in rural areas. About 69% of older adults in rural areas showed a lower intake of total fat compared to the reference level. The food sources for total fat and SFA were meat, soybean oil, eggs, and milk in both areas. The intake of fat from eggs, milk, mayonnaise, and bread was higher in urban areas, but the intake of fat from white rice and coffee mix was higher in rural areas. The SFA intake was positively associated with elevated serum total cholesterol in urban areas (4th quartile vs. 1st quartile, OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.06-1.40, P for trend: 0.043), but not in rural areas. Conclusions: Regional differences in total fat and SFA intakes and their food sources were observed among Korean adults. Our findings may help plan nutritional strategies to ameliorate regional health disparities.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.607-621
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• 2011

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between physical activities, sleep disturbance, and health related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A descriptive survey design used pretest dataset of COPD symptom management intervention study (N=245). Measures included the international physical activity questionnaire, the COPD and asthma sleep impact scale, and the St. George's respiratory questionnaire of HRQOL. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and simultaneous multiple regression by the SPSS WIN 18.0 program. Results The mean scores (SD) of HRQOL and sleep disturbance were 36.04 (19.43) and 14.33 (6.20), respectively. About 32% of participants were physically inactive. The multivariate approach showed the patients who have more sleep disturbance (β=.27), lower levels of FEV1 % predicted (β=-.23), lower physical activities (β=-.19), lower household income (β=-.16), and diagnosed longer than 5 years (β=.14) reported lower HRQOL (R²=.34). Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that improving the quality of sleep and physical activities can be efficient strategies for HRQOL in patients with COPD. Future research in enhancing HRQOL through improving sleep quality and physical activities is needed.

• The korean journal of orthodontics
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2024

Objective: To quantify the effects of midline-related landmark identification on midline deviation measurements in posteroanterior (PA) cephalograms using a cascaded convolutional neural network (CNN). Methods: A total of 2,903 PA cephalogram images obtained from 9 university hospitals were divided into training, internal validation, and test sets (n = 2,150, 376, and 377). As the gold standard, 2 orthodontic professors marked the bilateral landmarks, including the frontozygomatic suture point and latero-orbitale (LO), and the midline landmarks, including the crista galli, anterior nasal spine (ANS), upper dental midpoint (UDM), lower dental midpoint (LDM), and menton (Me). For the test, Examiner-1 and Examiner-2 (3-year and 1-year orthodontic residents) and the Cascaded-CNN models marked the landmarks. After point-to-point errors of landmark identification, the successful detection rate (SDR) and distance and direction of the midline landmark deviation from the midsagittal line (ANS-mid, UDM-mid, LDM-mid, and Me-mid) were measured, and statistical analysis was performed. Results: The cascaded-CNN algorithm showed a clinically acceptable level of point-to-point error (1.26 mm vs. 1.57 mm in Examiner-1 and 1.75 mm in Examiner-2). The average SDR within the 2 mm range was 83.2%, with high accuracy at the LO (right, 96.9%; left, 97.1%), and UDM (96.9%). The absolute measurement errors were less than 1 mm for ANS-mid, UDM-mid, and LDM-mid compared with the gold standard. Conclusions: The cascaded-CNN model may be considered an effective tool for the auto-identification of midline landmarks and quantification of midline deviation in PA cephalograms of adult patients, regardless of variations in the image acquisition method.

• 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.

• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.10
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• pp.693-707
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• 2023

Background and Objectives: Inherited arrhythmia (IA) is a more common cause of sudden cardiac death in Asian population, but little is known about the genetic background of Asian IA probands. We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and analyze the genetic underpinnings of IA in a Korean cohort. Methods: This study was conducted in a multicenter cohort of the Korean IA Registry from 2014 to 2017. Genetic testing was performed using a next-generation sequencing panel including 174 causative genes of cardiovascular disease. Results: Among the 265 IA probands, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF) and Brugada Syndrome (BrS) was the most prevalent diseases (96 and 95 cases respectively), followed by long QT syndrome (LQTS, n=54). Two-hundred-sixteen probands underwent genetic testing, and 69 probands (31.9%) were detected with genetic variant, with yield of pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant as 6.4%. Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in genotype positive probands (54.7±11.3 vs. 59.3±9.2%, p=0.005). IVF probands showed highest yield of positive genotype (54.0%), followed by LQTS (23.8%), and BrS (19.5%). Conclusions: There were significant differences in clinical characteristics and genetic yields among BrS, LQTS, and IVF. Genetic testing did not provide better yield for BrS and LQTS. On the other hand, in IVF, genetic testing using multiple gene panel might enable the molecular diagnosis of concealed genotype, which may alter future clinical diagnosis and management strategies.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.173-181
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• 2024

Background: Pollination is an ecosystem service of utmost importance for agriculture. In this context, the study aimed to evaluate the pollination service of naturally occurring bees and after densification with colonies of stingless bees (Nannotrigona testceicornis and Tetragonisca angustula) in commercial strawberry plantation. The study was carried out in the four seasons of the year and under two experimental conditions: natural pollination (NP) and pollination under bee densification. The supply of flowers and bee density were estimated. For bee densification, four boxes of colonies of Iraí bees and four of Jataí bees were placed near the strawberry plantation. Five treatments were established for each condition, considering NP and pollination with bee densification on different days from flower anthesis, ranging from the 1st to the 5th day. Fruits were harvested, quantified, and submitted to evaluations to determine biometry, degree of deformity, and percentage of fertilized achenes. Results: There was a higher density in summer compared to other seasons in both conditions evaluated. The weight was greater (20.19 g) when fruits were pollinated on the first day after floral anthesis under pollination conditions with bee densification. It was observed that free pollination provided fruits with greater a greater of deformation of flowers on the fourth and fifth day after anthesis. However, when bee density became higher, the greatest degree of deformity was observed only in fifth-day fruits. The densification with stingless bees provided a 50% increase in the number of bees present on strawberry plants in summer and also a 15% increase in fruit weight and the occurrence of a lower degree of fruit deformity. Conclusions: Density with stingless bees provided a 50% increase in the number of bees present on strawberry plant in the summer, with an improvement in fruit quality and aggregate commercial value, providing a 15% increase in fruit weight and a lower degree of deformity under the conditions of densification of Iraí (N. testceicornis) and Jataí (T. angustula) bees. Under the evaluated conditions, the introduction of stingless bee boxes in the summer is recommended.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.350-362
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• 2020

In this study, nano Fe°-impregnated biochar (INPBC) was prepared using pruning residues and one-pot synthetic method and evaluated its performance as an amendment agent for the stabilization of arsenic-contaminated soil. For the preparation of INPBC, the mixture of pruning residue and Fe (III) solution was heated to 220℃ for 3hr in a teflon-sealed autoclave followed by calcination at 600℃ under N₂ atmosphere for 1hr. As-prepared INPBC was characterized using FT-IR, XRD, BET, SEM. For the stabilization test of as-prepared INPBC, As-contaminated soils (Soil-E and Soil-S) sampled from agricultural sites located respectively near E-abandoned mine and S-abandoned mine in South Korea were mixed with different of dosage of INPBC and cultivated for 4 weeks. After treatment, TCLP and SPLP tests were conducted to determine the stabilization efficiency of As in soil and showed that the stabilization efficiency was increased with increasing the INPBC dosage and the concentration of As in SPLP extractant of Soil-E was lower than the drinking water standard level of Ministry of Environment of South Korea. The sequential fractionation of As in the stabilized soils indicated that the fractions of As in the 1st and 2nd stages that correspond liable and known as bioavailable fraction were decreased and the fractions of As in 3rd and 4th stages that correspond relatively non-liable fraction were increased. Such a stabilization of As shows that the abundant nano Fe° on the surface of INPBC mixed with As-contaminated soils played the co-precipitation of As leaching from soil by surface complexation with iron. The results of this study may imply that INPBC as a promising amendments for the stabilization of As-contaminated soil play an important role.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.23-37
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• 2007

Background: Even though cervical cancer poses a significant global cancer burden, successful implementations for early detection offer an opportunity to prevent deaths and reduce the cancer burden. In Korea, cervical cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among adult women, but it is one of the few cancers in which a consensus-approved screening test exists for early diagnosis, Pap test, that can be combined with highly efficacious treatment regimens for early-stage disease. Purpose: This study was carried out to identify the cognitive-behavioral factors associated with cervical cancer screening behavior among adult women, aged 40 to 59, and to develop tailored messages and to evaluate the effectiveness of stage-matched educational program. Method: A total of 283 women who aged 40 years or older was recruited in Seoul, from September, 1st to November, 14th, 2003. The intervention group (N=162) and the control group (N=121) were selected from five sub-districts in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Building on the TTM, a quasi-experimental study was conducted to test the effectiveness of stages-matched intervention addressed at the five stages of cervical cancer screening behavior. Women in the intervention group were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, internet or postal services. Results: In our results, 88.9% of participants had received a Pap test at least once in their life-time, and 65.4% had got it in the past two years. With regard to cognitive-behavioral factors, the stages-matched educational program increased attitude and process of change for cervical cancer screening. The percentage changed was the largest in maintenance stage. With regard to delivery methods for tailored messages, the print materials were more effective at increasing screening adherence than the e-mail. Whereas the postal service group showed remarkable the change of behavior stage, the internet service group did not. Also it was not shown any difference of the satisfaction with stages-matched educational program between internet and postal service groups. Conclusion: This study suggested that cervical cancer screening behavior could be changed by tailored messages which had developed with cognitive-behavioral factors. The stages-matched educational program was effective to promote the screening adherence for cervical cancer.