• Geotechnical Engineering
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.5-16
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• 1989

This paper statistically analyses the freezing soil by frost group and frost depth in Korea with data from soil testing in the Korea National Housing Corporation, the climate data provided by the Central Weather Office and the data on the frost depth from the National Construction Laboratory Institute. In this paper, freezing variable are analysed such as percentage finer than 0.02 m by weight, plasticity index, freezing index, water contents of soil and frost depth etc‥‥ The result of the analysis is as follows. 1) The frost depth of Korea depends on the properties of soil rather thank the characte fistic of area. 2) The distribution map of design freezing index in 57 cities is drawn up with the maxi- mum freezing index, during past 14 years, calculated by the average of the air temperature observed four times(03 : 00.09 00, 15 : 00, 21 : 00) a day. 3) By correcting the OLS line estimated from the relationship between freezing index and frost depth, a method of utlizing the line with the upper confidence limit of 99.9% int-distribution as predicted maximum frost depth is newly introduced.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.350-357
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• 2019

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate a possible association between the anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody (anti-tTG) titer and stage of duodenal mucosal damage and assess a possible cut-off value of anti-tTG at which celiac disease (CD) may be diagnosed in children in conjunction with clinical judgment. Methods: This observational study was conducted at a gastroenterology clinic in a tertiary hospital from April 2012 to May 2013. Seventy children between 6-months and 18-years-old with suspected CD underwent celiac serology and duodenal biopsy. Statistical analyses were done using SPSS 16. Diagnostic test values were determined for comparing the anti-tTG titer with duodenal biopsy. An analysis of variance and Tukey-Kramer tests were performed for comparing the means between groups. A receiver operating characteristics curve was plotted to determine various cut-off values of anti-tTG. Results: The mean antibody titer increased with severity of Marsh staging (p<0.001). An immunoglobulin (Ig) A-tTG value at 115 AU/mL had 76% sensitivity and 100% specificity with a 100% positive predictive value (PPV) and 17% negative predictive value (NPV) for diagnosis of CD (p<0.001, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75-1). Conclusion: There is an association between the anti-tTG titer and stage of duodenal mucosal injury in children with CD. An anti-tTG value of 115 AU/mL (6.4 times the upper normal limit) had 76% sensitivity, 100% specificity, with a 100% PPV, and 17% NPV for diagnosing CD (95% CI, 0.75-1). This cut-off may be used in combination with clinical judgment to diagnose CD.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.11-16
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• 2019

In this study, a reliable number of soil samples for TPH fractionation was investigated in order to perform risk assessment. TPH was fractionated into volatile petroleum hydrocarbons (VPH) with three subgroups and extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (EPH) with four subgroups. At the study site, concentrations of each fraction were determined at 18 sampling points, and the 95% upper confidence limit (UCL) value was used as an exposure concentration of each fraction. And then, 5 sampling points were randomly selected out of the 18 points, and an exposure concentration was calculated. This process was repeated 30 times, and the results were compared statistically. Exposure concentrations of EPH obtained from 18 points were 99.9, 339.1, 27.3, and 85.9 mg/kg for aliphatic $C_9-C_{18}$, $C_{19}-C_{36}$, $C_{37}-C_{40}$, and aromatic $C_{11}-C_{22}$, respectively. The corresponding exposure concentrations obtained from 5 points were 139.8, 462.8, 35.1 and 119.4 mg/kg, which were significantly higher than those from 18 points results (p <0.05). Our results suggest that limited number of samples for TPH fractionation may bias estimation of exposure concentration of TPH fractions. Also, it is recommended that more than 30 samples need to be analyzed for TPH fractionation in performing risk assessment.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.356-365
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• 2021

Background: Concerns have been raised regarding the criteria of groundwater, in particular in Gwangwon-do Province where many residents drink groundwater due to the poor supply of tap water and a high nonconformity rate with water quality criteria nationwide. Objectives: Water quality monitoring and risk assessment were conducted for groundwater in Hoengseong, Gangwon-do Province. Methods: A total of 46 items required for meeting drinking water criteria were analyzed from 258 samples collected from March 2017 through August 2018 (152 sites in 2017 and 106 sites in 2018). Risk assessment was conducted for two non-carcinogens (F^- and NO₃-N), and one carcinogen (i.e., arsenic) based on their high nonconformity to water quality criteria. Results: Water quality analysis revealed that the total proportion of nonconformities was determined to be 27.9%. The nonconformity rate for each content item is as follows: total colony counts (1.6%), total coliform (6.2%), Escherichia coli (1.2%), F^- (8.1%), arsenic (4.7%), NO₃-N (8.1%), pH (1.2%), manganese (0.4%), and turbidity (5.8%). Risk assessment indicated that fluoride induced a hazard quotient greater than 1 with the 95% UCL (Upper Confidence Limit) concentration of the total 258 sites and average, median, and 95% UCL concentrations of nonconformity sites. For NO₃-N, there was no human health risk. For arsenic, the excess cancer risk exceeded the acceptable cancer risk of 1×10^-6 with the average and 95% UCL concentrations of total 258 sites and average, median, and 95% UCL concentrations of nonconformity sites. Conclusions: This study suggests that it is necessary to expand water quality monitoring of groundwater and conduct a more detailed risk assessment in order to establish a health care plan for the residents of Hoengseong, Gangwon-do Province.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.345-350
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• 2012

To investigate the exposure and health risk assessment for the residents near the D-asbestos mine in Chungbuk, Korea. We analyzed asbestos in the 20 ambient air and 23 activity based samples near the mine. The airborne sample results are showed that 8 of 20 samples ranged between 0.0025 to 0.0029 f/cc (fiber per cubic centimeter) and the others were below the detection limit by phase contrast microscopy (PCM). In addition, asbestos fibers were under the detection limit or not being by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Based on interview and survey targeting the local residents, we made the activity based sampling (ABS) scenarios fit to the conditions of field. At the same time, we calculated the excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) of these ABS scenarios according to the ELCR average value and 95% upper confidence limit (UCL). At the case of weed whacking, soil digging and sweeping yard scenario, 95% UCL of ELCR exceeded the $1{\times}10^{-4}$, acceptable risk range for exposure. Based on our study results, it is necessary safety measures such as risk communication, abatement or management of naturally occurring asbestos (NOA).

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.301-311
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• 2017

In this study, we observed the characteristics of students' small group discussions concerning the four friction problems. Participants in this study were 22 students of upper-level mechanics course and their small group discussions have been transcribed. As a result, we found that the phenomenon in this study is well defined by 'common context.' The process of formation of the common context was explicitly observed when students discussed about the identification of the problem situation (especially the movement of A in the second problem), the nature of friction and various forces, inertial frame, and noninertial reference frame. Meanwhile, the formation of common context was tacit when students thought they already had a common context. For example, students did not discuss about the friction rule itself because they had confidence about the knowledge. We also found that the presence of the questioner, receiver, and the other opinion were important for positive group discussions. The result of this study would be meaningful because it analyzed how the theme affects the group discussion beyond the limit of previous studies of just analyzing the form or pattern of discourse.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.6391-6395
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• 2012

Background: Ovarian cancer is ranked as the fifth most common cause of cancer death in women. In Malaysia, it is the fourth most common cancer in females. CA125 has been the tumor marker of choice in ovarian cancer but its diagnostic specificity in early stages is only 50%. Hence, there is a critical need to identify an alternative tumor marker that is capable of detecting detect ovarian cancer at an early stage. HE4 is a new tumor marker proposed for the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer and disease recurrence. Currently, none of the normal ranges of HE4 quoted in the literature are based on data for a multiethnic Asian population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine reference intervals for HE4 in an Asian population presenting in University Malaya Medical Centre, a tertiary reference hospital. Materials and Methods: 300 healthy women were recruited comprising 150 premenopausal and 150 postmenopausal women, aged from 20-76 years. All women were subjected to a pelvic ultrasonograph and were confirmed to be free from ovarian pathology on recruitment. Serum HE4 levels were determined by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA, Abbott Architect). The reference intervals were determined following CLSI guidelines (C28-A2) using a non-parametric method. Results: The upper limits of the $95^{th}$ percentile reference interval (90%CI) for all the women collectively were 64.6 pmol/L, and 58.4 pmol/L for premenopausal) and 69.0 pmol/L for postmenopausal. The concentration of HE4 was noted to increase with age especially in women who were more than 50 years old. We also noted that our proposed reference limit was lower compared to the level given by manufacturer Abbott Architect HE4 kit insert (58.4 vs 70 pmol/L for premenopausal group and 69.0 vs 140 pmol/L in the postmenopausal group). The study also showed a significant difference in HE4 concentrations between ethnic groups (Malays and Indians). The levels of HE4 in Indians appeared higher than in Malays (p<0.05), while no significant differences were noted between the Malays and Chinese ethnic groups. Conclusions: More data are needed to establish a reference interval that will better represent the multiethnic Malaysian population. Probably a larger sampling size of equal representation of the Malay, Chinese, Indians as well as the other native ethnic communities will give us a greater confidence on whether genetics plays a role in reference interval determination.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.267-274
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• 2020

The dissipation characteristics and kinetics of fungicide mandipropamid and insecticide thiamethoxam in lettuce under greenhouse conditions were investigated at three different lettuce-growing fields for estimating the pre-harvest residue limits (PHRLs). The analytical methods were fully validated for the quantitation of pesticide residues using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Photo Diode Array detector or Ultraviolet-Visible Detector and applied to real samples. The lettuces suitable for shipment were harvested during 10 days including pre-harvest interval after treatment at the recommended dose by safe-use guidelines. The initial mean residues in different fields were 6.68-17.87 and 4.96-8.31 mg/kg for mandipropamid and thiamethoxam, respectively, which decreased to 16-54 and 14-44% in 10 days. The clothianidin, a metabolite of thiamethoxam, was detected in <0.02 to 0.37 mg/kg. The dissipation of both pesticides followed first-order kinetics over a period of 10 days after application. Based on the residue data, the mean dissipation rate constant (λ) and biological half-lives (T_1/2) were estimated to be -0.1060 and 6.5 days of mandipropamid and -0.1236 and 5.6 days of thiamethoxam. The PHRLs for lettuce on the 10th and 5th day before harvesting were calculated to be 63.24 and 43.56 mg/kg for mandipropamid, and 44.66 and 25.88 mg/kg for thiamethoxam, with -0.0746 and -0.1091 of the upper 95% confidence intervals of dissipation rate constant, respectively. This work would be useful as guidance for adjusting the shipment date and contribute to stabilizing the income of farmers in Korea.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1169-1181
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the regular Upright Body Type Excercise on posture, muscle strength of leg, lung capacity and depression of people with mental illness. The subjects of this study were recruited from B mental health center (5 years and more mental illness patients, n=19) located in P city. For the exercise group, They were carried out the Upright Body Type Excercise Program during 8 weeks (60 min/time, 3 times/week). They were randomly divided into two groups. Exercise group (n=10) and Control group (n=9). And also, they were agreed with consent forms before the experiments. Research results were as follows. Through the upper body type exercise, there was significantly difference in PEF and FEV1/FVC in the trained group. And also, there was much improved in depression level in the trained group. The change of melancholy feeling before and after the program was not statistically significant. However, because of limitations of sampling size due to the peculiarities of the program participants, in consideration of the limit of statistical validation exists clearly, intended to better understand the subjective experience of attendees, qualitative analyzing(qualitative research) was carried out in parallel. It was conducted a deep interview only person accepted among program participants, thematic analysis, subject analysis tasks to be subdivided by classifying by considering the semantic units of what participants expressed, was thus carried out. It found that the degree of melancholy feeling of mental disorders who participated in the Upright Body Typed Exercise Program was reduced. The course of the experience of change in depression appered the three subjects and six sub-themes such as "the start of the change", "interest of the program", "recognition of the need of the body’s health", "physical health promotion", "recovery of physical function", "negative change of habits (attitude)", "reduction of sense of depression", "confidence that it is possible to", "hope for the future". Therefore, upper body type exercise is much helpful in lung capacity and mental health of people with mental illness. So, this type of exercise mostly needed in the people with mental illness group than the other group for the quality of life.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.1082-1090
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• 2009

Peak expiratory flow rate(PEF) is a very important diagnostic parameter obtained from the forced vital capacity(FVC) test. The expiratory flow rate increases during the short initial time period and may cause measurement error in PEF particularly due to non-ideal dynamic characteristic of the transducer. The present study evaluated the initial rise slope($S_r$) on the flow rate signal to compensate the transducer output data. The 26 standard signals recommended by the American Thoracic Society(ATS) were generated and flown through the velocity-type respiratory air flow transducer with simultaneously acquiring the transducer output signal. Most PEF and the corresponding output($N_{PEF}$) were well fitted into a quadratic equation with a high enough correlation coefficient of 0.9997. But only two(ATS#2 and 26) signals resulted significant deviation of $N_{PEF}$ with relative errors>10%. The relationship between the relative error in $N_{PEF}$ and $S_r$ was found to be linear, based on which $N_{PEF}$ data were compensated. As a result, the 99% confidence interval of PEF error was turned out to be approximately 2.5%, which was less than a quarter of the upper limit of 10% recommended by ATS. Therefore, the present compensation technique was proved to be very accurate, complying the international standards of ATS, which would be useful to calibrate respiratory air flow transducers.