• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.297-301
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• 2011

Rabies virus is transmitted most commonly through a bite from an infected dog. Especially, stray dogs that are not excluded from contact with rabid wild animals can become rabies vectors. Therefore, serological survey of rabies virus from stray dogs in Seoul Metropolitan City was carried out in this study. To investigate prevalence of rabies antibodies in the stray dogs, serum samples were taken from 500 stray dogs between April and December 2010. Antibodies to rabies virus were detected by indirect ELISA. Of 500 tested sera, 147 (29.4%) were positive to rabies virus. Prevalence rates of rabies antibodies(PRRA) in northern and southern Han river region of Seoul were 26.4% and 33.2% respectively. PRRA in male and female dogs were 33.6% and 26.1% respectively. PRRA in less than 1 year, 1~2< years, 2~3< years, 3~5< years, 5~10< years and over 10 years old dogs were 12.7%, 21.6%, 26.4%, 36.4%, 32.5% and 46.4%, respectively. These results indicates that antibody seroprevalence to rabies is still not enough to prevent rabies and rabies vaccination is required to enhance the seroprevalence in the dogs. To improve the situation, measures to raise public awareness of rabies and its prevention is needed. Also, reducing stray dogs and keeping companion animals from contact with wild animals are indispensable for the prevention of rabies.

• The Korean Journal of Pesticide Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2012

Dietary exposure assessment by ages was performed in this study using pesticide residues data examined in vegetable commodities collected in Seoul from 2007 to 2009, and the vegetable intakes for Seoulites which were obtained after analysing the Korea National Health and Nutrition examination survey data of 2008. There was a statistical difference for vegetable intakes by ages (P<0.001). Vegetable intake was the highest in 40~59 age group and was the lowest in under 5 age group. The %ADI was calculated using vegetable pesticide residues and vegetable intake for Seoulites by ages. Considering below 1 of the %ADI by ages, the risk caused by pesticide residues in vegetables was very low and vegetable intake was safe.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.26-30
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• 2014

Listeria monocytogenes continues to be a important food safety concern. The aims of the present study were to investigate the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of L. monocytogenes. A total of 1,042 samples was collected from 2010 to 2011 in Seoul and twelve L. monocytogenes were isolated. Isolation rate was Gimbap (0.8%), Beef (yukhoe) (2.6%), Pork (cooked) (5.9%), Fish(cooked) (6.3%), and Salmon (11.1%), respectively. In this study, most of the isolates were susceptible to antibiotics. The most common resistance was cefotetan on 11 isolates, followed by cefotaxime on 7 isolates, cepefime on 6 isolates and tetracyclin on 3 isolates.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.410-418
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• 2016

This study was conducted to improve the analysis method used for N-nitrosamines and to investigate the occurrences of N-nitrosamines in tributaries of the Han-river, intake stations, water treatment plants and tap water used within the city of Seoul. The samples were pretreated through a solid phase extraction and analyzed using a gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometer (GC-MS/MS). The GC-MS/MS in CI mode was compared with the GC-MS/MS in EI mode by the method detection limits (MDLs). MDLs by GC-CI/MS/MS and GC-EI/MS/MS were 0.2 ~ 1.1 ng/L and 0.2 ~ 1.4 ng/L, respectively. Samples were collected from ten tributaries of the Han-river (T1 ~ T10), six intake stations (I1 ~ I6), six water treatment plants (P1 ~ P6) and 25 taps in Seoul city. The maximum levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) were 0.013 μg/L, 0.008 μg/L, 0.006 μg/L and 0.002 μg/L in tributary water, raw water, finished water and tap water samples, respectively. Detected levels were much lower than 0.1 μg/L corresponding to the guideline value of WHO.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.221-224
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• 2014

Larvae, nymphs, and adult stages of 3 species of ixodid ticks were collected by tick drag methods in Seoul during June-October 2013, and their infection status with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus was examined using RT-PCR. During the period, 732 Haemaphysalis longicornis, 62 Haemaphysalis flava, and 2 Ixodes nipponensis specimens were collected. Among the specimens of H. longicornis, the number of female adults, male adults, nymphs, and larvae were 53, 11, 240, and 446, respectively. Ticks were grouped into 63 pools according to the collection site, species, and developmental stage, and assayed for SFTS virus. None of the pools of ticks were found to be positive for SFTS virus gene.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.230-238
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• 2013

Objectives: For our survey of the incidence of influenza viruses among respiratory viral infections in Seoul, we evaluated their prevalence among infectious acute respiratory viral patients in Seoul from 2010 to 2012 through regular surveillance. Methods: For influenza virus detection, we conducted real-time PCR analyses on 2,544 throat specimens collected from patients with respiratory viral infections in Seoul between 2010 and 2012. They were collected and then tested for the presence of influenza viruses through reverse transcription (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: 19.1% (486/2,544) of the throat specimens were determined to be positive for influenza viruses. The incidences of influenza viral infection in the case of respiratory viral infections through regular surveillance in Seoul were 23.0% (212/923) in 2010, 6.4% (47/738) in 2011, and 25.7% (227/883) in 2012, and 10.8% (275/2,544) of type A, and 8.3% (211/2,544) type B influenza viruses. In addition, the greatest prevalence was in the 20-49 age group (51.6% ), which shows that influenza viruses constituted a major causative agent of acute respiratory viral infections. Conclusions: The distributions of influenza viruses and the epidemiologic patterns of the viral pathogen in acute respiratory viral infectious patients may provide potentially effective data for epidemiological studies in Seoul, Korea.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 2012

Objectives: For our survey of the incidence of norovirus infections and the genogroup distribution of norovirus in Seoul, Republic of Korea, we evaluated through regular surveillance the prevalence of norovirus infections in patients with acute gastroenteritis occurring in Seoul from January 2007 to July 2011. Methods: For norovirus detection, we conducted epidemiological analyses on the basis of the junction of ORF1 and ORF2 (approximately 314 bp). 11,202 fecal specimens were collected from patients in Seoul with acute gastroenteritis between January 2007 and July 2011 and then tested for the presence of NoV via reverse transcription (RT) - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: 16.6% (1,861/11,202) of the fecal specimens were determined to be positive for noroviruses. The incidences of norovirus infection in Seoul in the case of acute gastroenteritis with regular surveillance were 28.0% in 2007, 14.6% in 2008, 9.1% in 2009, 14.1% in 2010, and 12.9% in 2011, which shows that noroviruses constituted a major causative agent of acute gastroenteritis. Also, the incidence of noroviral infection in patients with acute gastroenteritis increased after the large-scale new influenza in 2009. Conclusions: The genetic characteristics of norovirus and the epidemiologic patterns of a viral pathogen in acute gastroenteritis patients may provide potentially effective data for epidemiological studies in Seoul, Korea.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.3
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• pp.265-269
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• 2017

Background: The first line of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs are the most effective standard of drugs for TB. However, the use of these drugs is associated with hepatotoxicity. Silymarin has protective effects against hepatotoxicity of anti-TB drugs in animal models. This study aims to investigate the protective effect of silymarin on hepatotoxicity caused by anti-TB drugs. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study. Patients were eligible if they were 20 years of age or order and started the first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. Eligible patients were randomized for receiving silymarin or a placebo for the first 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who showed elevated serum liver enzymes more than 3 times the upper normal limit (UNL) or total bilirubin (TBil) > $2{\times}UNL$ within the first 8 weeks of anti-TB treatment. Results: We enrolled a total of 121 patients who silymarin or a placebo to start their anti-TB treatment, for the first 8 weeks. The proportions of elevated serum liver enzymes more than 3 times of UNL at week 2, week 4, and week 8 did not show any significant difference between the silymarin and placebo groups, at 0% versus 3.6% (p>0.999); 4.4% versus 3.6% (p>0.999); and 8.7% versus 10.8% (p=0.630), respectively. However, patients with TBil >$2{\times}UNL$ at week 8 were significantly low in the silymarin group (0% versus 8.7%, p=0.043). Conclusion: Our findings did not show silymarin had any significant preventive effect on the hepatotoxicity of anti-TB drugs.

• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.42.1-42.7
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• 2018

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the C-shaped root canal anatomy of mandibular second molars in a Korean population. Materials and Methods: A total of 542 teeth were evaluated using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The canal shapes were classified according to a modified version of Melton's method at the level where the pulp chamber floor became discernible. Results: Of the 542 mandibular second molars, 215 (39.8%) had C-shaped canals, 330 (53%) had 3 canals, 17 (3.3%) had 2 canals, 12 (2.2%) had 4 canals, and 8 (1.7%) had 1 canal. The prevalence of C-shaped canals was 47.8% in females and 28.4% in males. Seventy-seven percent of the C-shaped canals showed a bilateral appearance. The prevalence of C-shaped canals showed no difference according to age or tooth position. Most teeth with a C-shaped canal system presented Melton's type II (45.6%) and type III (32.1%) configurations. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of C-shaped canals in the mandibular second molars of the Korean population studied. CBCT is expected to be useful for endodontic diagnosis and treatment planning of mandibular second molars.

• Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.398-415
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• 2010

The purpose of this paper is to grasp levels of cost burden in pollution treatment by measuring efficiencies and shadow prices by pollutants in Korean cities. The efficiencies and shadow prices of pollutants will be compared for cities divided by Seoul metropolitan area and non-Seoul metropolitan area. Annual shadow prices of NOx, SOx, and PM10 emissions in the cities of Seoul metropolitan area are 0.846, 0.318, 0.816, respectively for 1999-2005. The annual shadow prices in the cities of Non-Seoul metropolitan area are 0.848, 0.272, and 0.789, respectively over the same periods. The shadow prices of SOx showed similar levels between two areas but those of NOx and PM10 of cities in Seoul metropolitan area were higher. NOx emission quantities of both areas have similar increasing patterns because the NOx has mainly increased with augmentation of transportation regardless of Seoul metropolitan and non-Seoul metropolitan areas. It seems that the reason the shadow prices of two pollutants for the cities of Seoul metropolitan area are higher, is because environmental regulation is stronger in the cities of Seoul metropolitan area, the cities of Seoul metropolitan relatively show higher quantities of pollution reduction under given desirable outputs, and generally have industrial sectors with small pollution emission. In the future we need to reduce pollutants in the various respects such as adjustment of overall industry structure, energy consumption pattern, and reviews of arrangement of living space for the cities located on the downward-sloping segment of production frontier.