• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.735-747
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• 2023

In recent times, the sharp increase in extreme flood damages due to climate change has posed a challenge to effectively address flood-related issues solely relying on conventional flood management infrastructure. In response to this problem, this study aims to consider the effectiveness of nature-based flood management approaches, specifically levee retreat and relocation. To achieve this, we utilized a 1D numerical model, HEC-RAS, to analyze the flood reduction effects concerning floodwater levels, flow velocities, and time-dependent responses to a 100-year frequency flood event. The analysis results revealed that the effect of creating a flood buffer zone of the nature-based solution extends from upstream to downstream, reducing flood water levels by up to 30 cm. The selection of the flow roughness coefficient in consideration of the nature-based flood buffer space creation characteristics should be based on precise criteria and scientific evidence because it is sensitive to the flood control effect analysis results. Notably, floodwater levels increased in some expanded floodplain sections, and the reduction in flow velocities varied depending on the ratio of the expanded cross-sectional area. In conclusion, levee retreat and floodplain expansion are viable nature-based alternatives for effective flood management. However, a comprehensive design approach is essential considering flood control effects, flow velocity reduction, and the timing of peak water levels. This study offers insights into addressing the challenges of climate-induced extreme flooding and advancing flood management strategies.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.770-781
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• 2021

Objective: Chemical exchange-dependent saturation transfer (CEST) MRI is sensitive for detecting solid-like proteins and may detect changes in the levels of mobile proteins and peptides in tissues. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of chemical exchange proton pools using the CEST MRI technique in patients with dementia. Materials and Methods: Our institutional review board approved this cross-sectional prospective study and informed consent was obtained from all participants. This study included 41 subjects (19 with dementia and 22 without dementia). Complete CEST data of the brain were obtained using a three-dimensional gradient and spin-echo sequence to map CEST indices, such as amide, amine, hydroxyl, and magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTR_asym) values, using six-pool Lorentzian fitting. Statistical analyses of CEST indices were performed to evaluate group comparisons, their correlations with gray matter volume (GMV) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Amine signals (0.029 for non-dementia, 0.046 for dementia, p = 0.011 at hippocampus) and MTR_asym values at 3 ppm (0.748 for non-dementia, 1.138 for dementia, p = 0.022 at hippocampus), and 3.5 ppm (0.463 for non-dementia, 0.875 for dementia, p = 0.029 at hippocampus) were significantly higher in the dementia group than in the non-dementia group. Most CEST indices were not significantly correlated with GMV; however, except amide, most indices were significantly correlated with the MMSE scores. The classification power of most CEST indices was lower than that of GMV but adding one of the CEST indices in GMV improved the classification between the subject groups. The largest improvement was seen in the MTR_asym values at 2 ppm in the anterior cingulate (area under the ROC curve = 0.981), with a sensitivity of 100 and a specificity of 90.91. Conclusion: CEST MRI potentially allows noninvasive image alterations in the Alzheimer's disease brain without injecting isotopes for monitoring different disease states and may provide a new imaging biomarker in the future.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.158-167
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• 2024

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of vertebral fracture (VF) in children with chronic liver disease (CLD) with and without liver transplantation (LT) and to determine the associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Patients aged 3-21 years with CLD both before and after LT were enrolled in the study. Lateral thoracolumbar spine radiographs were obtained and assessed for VF using Mäkitie's method. Clinical and biochemical data were collected. Results: We enrolled 147 patients (80 females; median age 8.8 years [interquartile range 6.0-11.8]; 110 [74.8%] in the LT group and 37 [25.2%] in the non-LT group). VF was identified in 21 patients (14.3%): 17/110 (15.5%) in the LT group and 4/37 (10.8%) in the non-LT group (p=0.54). Back pain was noted in only three patients with VF. In the univariate analysis, a height z-score below -2.0 (p=0.010), pre-LT hepatopulmonary syndrome (p=0.014), elevated serum direct and total bilirubin levels (p=0.037 and p=0.049, respectively), and vitamin D deficiency at 1-year post-LT (p=0.048) were associated with VF in the LT group. In multivariate analysis, height z-score below -2.0 was the only significant associated factor (odds ratio, 5.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.49-23.76; p=0.012) for VF. All VFs in the non-LT group were reported in males. Conclusion: In children with CLD, VF is common before and after LT. Most patients with VF are asymptomatic. Screening for VF should be considered in patients with a height z-score below -2.0 after LT.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.31.1-31.10
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• 2023

Background: With modernization, air pollution has become increasingly serious, and its effects on health have been revealed. As a result, public interest in environmental pollution has become critical for regulating air pollution. In our study, we aim to evaluate the impact of air pollution levels on public attention to environmental issues and examine whether awareness of the residential environment's impact on health acts as a mediator in this relationship. Methods: We conducted an analysis on 400 individuals surveyed in the preliminary feasibility study on adverse health effects in the Pohang Industrial Complex, to examine the relationship between particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and attention to environmental issues. Logistic regression analysis was performed, and mediation analysis was used to determine whether awareness of the residential environment's impact on health mediated the relationship. Results: The logistic regression analysis results showed that PM2.5 levels were associated with attention to environmental issues (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.3-3.5; p = 0.003) and awareness of health impacts (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.6-7.1; p = 0.001). The PM2.5 levels showed 9.9% (95% CI: 5.4-14.0) increase in the prevalence of high attention to environmental issues, of which, only 1.0% (95% CI: 0.2-2.3) were mediated by health impact awareness. In the overall analysis, 10% of the total effect of PM2.5 on attention to environmental issues was mediated by health impact awareness. Conclusions: According to this study's results, there was a correlation between air pollution levels and attention to environmental issues. Awareness of the health impacts of air pollution partially mediated the effect of air pollution levels on attention to environmental issues. In future studies, it is recommended to identify other mediators to further understand this structure.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.50.1-50.11
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• 2023

Background: The rise in telecommuting or non-face-to-face work owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has fueled conversations regarding the "right to disconnect." Although evidence suggests that receiving work-related communications through telecommunication devices outside of work hours may lead to various symptoms and illnesses, limited research has been undertaken on these symptoms. This study therefore aims to investigate the correlation between receiving work communications through telecommunication devices after work hours and the occurrence of work-related headaches and eyestrain in full-time, non-shift white-collar workers. Methods: This study used data from the 6th Korean Working Conditions Survey. The frequency of using telecommunication devices for work purposes outside of working hours was divided into five categories: "Every day," "Several times a week," "Several times a month," "Rarely," and "Never." Work-related headaches and eyestrain were categorized based on a "yes" or "no" response to the survey questions. Descriptive statistics, χ² tests, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS 27.0. Results: After adjusting for sex, age, income level, education, occupation, workplace size, work hours, and sleep disorders, the odds ratio (OR) of work-related headaches and eyestrain based on frequency of telecommunication device usage were as follows: "rarely" (OR: 1.292; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.111-1.503), "several times a month" (OR: 1.551; 95% CI: 1.249-1.926), "several times a week" (OR: 1.474; 95% CI: 1.217-1.784), and "every day" (OR: 1.548; 95% CI: 1.321-1.813). Conclusions: Employees who use telecommunication devices for work after regular hours are more susceptible to experiencing work-related headaches and eyestrain compared to those who do not. However, there is a dearth of research examining the physical and mental health impacts of using telecommunication devices for after-hours work. Furthermore, the existing preventative measures in Korea are insufficient. Consequently, it is imperative to develop effective measures and conduct additional research to address this issue.

• Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
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• v.35
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• pp.4.1-4.11
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• 2023

Background: Shift work has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) based on several evidences. The classic risk factors of CVD include age, hypertension, smoking, obesity and diabetes. Recently, the serum homocysteine level has been reported to be a valuable indicator of CVD risk. This study aimed to determine the variation in serum homocysteine level as a cardiovascular risk indicator among female workers according to shift work. Methods: The data of regular health examination of workers at an electronic manufacturing services company in Yeongnam region, South Korea in 2019 were examined in this study. The investigation was based on a cross-sectional study conducted on 697 female workers (199 day workers and 498 shift workers). The sociodemographic and biochemical characteristics were compared between day workers and shift workers. Through a logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of the increased serum homocysteine level in relation to shift work was determined. Results: Compared to female day workers, female shift workers showed significantly higher level of serum homocysteine (8.85 ± 2.16 vs. 9.42 ± 2.04 μmol/mL; p = 0.001). The OR of day workers against shift workers was 1.81 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-2.63). With the adjustment of variables that may influence the level of serum homocysteine, the adjusted OR was 1.68 (95% CI: 1.09-2.60). Conclusions: The serum homocysteine level was significantly higher in shift workers than in day workers. It is thus likely to be a useful predictor of CVD in shift workers.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.30 no.1 s.56
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• pp.103-128
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• 1997

The object of this study is to evaluate the possibility of chemical-induced liver disorder among workers exposed to various chemicals and to classify the the liver function abnormalities by causes and to analyse the risk factors for each liver disorders. A cross-sectional study including questionnaire survey, physical examination, laboratory tests and ultrasonography of liver was conducted on 1,126 workers, 459 workers in a coal chemical plant(company A) and 667 workers in an insulation material manufacturing factory(company B). An industrial hygienist reviewed the chemicals used in both companies and evaluated the work environments to classify the workers by chemical exposure semiquantitatively. The results are as follows: 1. Of 459 workers in company A, 83 workers(18.1%) are classified as nonexposed, group 163(35,5%) as short-term exposure group, 155(33.8%) as intermediately exposed group and 58(12.6%) as long-term exposed group bared on the mean daily exposure to hepatotoxic chemicals evaluated by an industrial hygienist. Of 667 workers in company B, 484(72.6%) workers were classified as nonexposed and 183(35.5%) as exposed group. 2. Workers with SGOT level higher than 40 IU/l were (10.0%) in company A and 77(11.5%) in company 3, and those with SGPT level higher than 35 IU/l were 118(25.7%) in company A and 198(29.7%) in company B. The differences were not significant between companies and between exposure groups(p>0.05). Workers with $\gamma-GT$ level higher than 62 IU/l were 29(6.3%) in company A and 77(11.5%) in company B (p<0.01). The difference between exposure groups was not significant(p>0.05) within companies. Workers with liver function abnormalities(defined as SGOT higher than 40 IU/l or SGPT higher than 35 IU/l) were 338(30.0%) among 1,126 workers. Of 338 workers with live. function abnormalities 139(12.3%) had fatty liver by ultrasonography, 79(7.0%) had alcoholic liver(defined as workers with liver function abnormalities with weekly alcohol consumption greater than 280 g for more than 5 years), 54(4.8%) had hepatitis B, 12(1.1%) had hepatitis C and the other 114(33.7%) was not otherwise classified. Prevalences of alcoholic liver and fatty liver were significantly lower in company A(prevalence ratio 0.24 for alcoholic liver, p<0.001, prevalence ratio 0.76 for fatty liver, p<0.05) but prevalences of liver disorders between exposure groups within companies were not significant(p>0.05). 3. Summary prevalence ratios(SPR) of live. function abnormalities, fatty live. and other liver disorders, adjusted by age and company were not significantly higher in exposed group in any chemicals(p>0.05) but in some chemicals, SPRs were significantly lower. 4. On simple analysis of risk factors for liver function abnormalities, prevalence odds ratio(POR) of those with age between 30 and 39 was 1.54(p<0.01) and those with age ever 40 was 1.51(p<0.01). POR of those with histories of liver disorders and general anesthesia was 1.77(p<0.001) and 4.02 for those with overweight and 6.23 for those with obesity, defined by body mass index(p<0.001). 5. On logistic regression analysis, risk factors of liver function abnormality were fatty liver(POR 2.92 for grade 1, 12.15 for grade 2), presence of hepatitis B surface antigen(POR 3.62) and obesity(POR 5.38 for overweight and 16.52 for obesity). Presence of hepatitis B surface antigen(POR 0.18) was the only preventive facto. of fatty live. Company(POR 0.30) and obesity(POR 2.49 for overweight, 4.52 for obesity) were related to the alcoholic live. Obesity(POR 2.94 for overweight) was the only significant risk factor of hepatitis B and there was no significant risk factor for liver function abnormality not otherwise classified. It is concluded that the evidence of liver disorder related with chemical exposure is not evident in these factories. It is also postulated that fatty liver and alcoholic liver is most common causes of liver function abnormalities among workers and effort for weight control and improvement of life style should be done.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.29 no.2 s.53
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• pp.173-186
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• 1996

This is a cross-sectional study to evaluate the relationships between physical fitness, leisure time physical activity, and serum lipid levels in middle-aged male workers. Physical fitness was measured by a step test score, and leisure time physical activity was self-reported on a questionnaire. Serum total cholesterol was negatively related to physical fitness(r=-0.27), and positively to obesity index(r=0.27). But leisure time physical activity was related to total cholesterol negatively(r=-0.20) only in subjects whose total cholesterol levels were above 170mg/dl. High density lipoprotein(HDL) cholesterol was positively related to physical fitness(r=0.15), negatively to obestiy index(r=-0.22), and positively to weekly alcohol consumption(r=0.14). Total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio was related to physical fitness(r=-0.23), obesity index(r=0.32), total cigarette index (r=0.13), weekly alcohol consumption(r=-0.13), and vegetable preference(r=0.13). Physical fitness was also related to leisure time physical activity(r=0.19) and obesity index(r=-0.18). In multiple linear regression models, physical fitness(beta=-0.23) and obesity index(beta=0.18) were significantly associated with total cholesterol, obesity index(beta=-0.25) with HDLcholesterol, and obesity index(beta=0.30), physical fitness(beta=-0.16) and vegetable preference (beta=0.14) with total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio. In conclusion, as physical fitness has a stronger relationship with serum lipid levels than leisure time physical activity, and the association between physical fitness and leisure time physical activity is modest, physical fitness should be added as an important variable in addition to activity in future epidemiologic studies.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.315-325
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• 2023

The purpose of this study was to predict abdominal obesity with 3-Dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) measurements of kidneys by analyzing the correlation between kidney sizes and abdominal obesity level. The subjects were 178 healthy adults without underlying diseases who had a comprehensive health examination at the Health Medical Center of Jesus Hospital in Jeonju. Abdominal obesity was measured by CT cross-sectional image at the level of the umbilicus and divided into visceral fat area, subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat/total fat ratio. The average comparison of kidney sizes classified according to abdominal obesity were performed through one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Scheffe test. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to correlate all measurement values. The results of kidney size ANOVA analysis according to abdominal obesity were as follows. The means of kidney measurements according to visceral fat classification were significantly different in all kidney measurements (p<0.05). And in case of subcutaneous fat classification, the means of kidney measurements by 3D CT of the severe obesity group were significantly different in the right kidney width (p<0.05). In case of visceral fat area/total fat area ratio, the means of kidney measurements by 3D CT of the severe obesity group were significantly different in both kidneys width (p<0.05). Pearson correlation between kidneys measurements and CT abdominal obesity showed that visceral fat area had the highest correlation with the left kidney width measured by 3D CT (r=0.467) and subcutaneous fat area had correlation with the right kidney width measured by 3D CT (r=0.249). The visceral fat area/total fat area ratio had correlation with the left kidney width measured by 3D CT (r=0.291).

• Journal of Intelligence and Information Systems
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.45-69
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• 2016

Recently, sentiment analysis using open Internet data is actively performed for various purposes. As online Internet communication channels become popular, companies try to capture public sentiment of them from online open information sources. This research is conducted for the purpose of analyzing pulbic sentiment of Korean Top-10 companies using a multi-categorical sentiment lexicon. Whereas existing researches related to public sentiment measurement based on big data approach classify sentiment into dimensions, this research classifies public sentiment into multiple categories. Dimensional sentiment structure has been commonly applied in sentiment analysis of various applications, because it is academically proven, and has a clear advantage of capturing degree of sentiment and interrelation of each dimension. However, the dimensional structure is not effective when measuring public sentiment because human sentiment is too complex to be divided into few dimensions. In addition, special training is needed for ordinary people to express their feeling into dimensional structure. People do not divide their sentiment into dimensions, nor do they need psychological training when they feel. People would not express their feeling in the way of dimensional structure like positive/negative or active/passive; rather they express theirs in the way of categorical sentiment like sadness, rage, happiness and so on. That is, categorial approach of sentiment analysis is more natural than dimensional approach. Accordingly, this research suggests multi-categorical sentiment structure as an alternative way to measure social sentiment from the point of the public. Multi-categorical sentiment structure classifies sentiments following the way that ordinary people do although there are possibility to contain some subjectiveness. In this research, nine categories: 'Sadness', 'Anger', 'Happiness', 'Disgust', 'Surprise', 'Fear', 'Interest', 'Boredom' and 'Pain' are used as multi-categorical sentiment structure. To capture public sentiment of Korean Top-10 companies, Internet news data of the companies are collected over the past 25 months from a representative Korean portal site. Based on the sentiment words extracted from previous researches, we have created a sentiment lexicon, and analyzed the frequency of the words coming up within the news data. The frequency of each sentiment category was calculated as a ratio out of the total sentiment words to make ranks of distributions. Sentiment comparison among top-4 companies, which are 'Samsung', 'Hyundai', 'SK', and 'LG', were separately visualized. As a next step, the research tested hypothesis to prove the usefulness of the multi-categorical sentiment lexicon. It tested how effective categorial sentiment can be used as relative comparison index in cross sectional and time series analysis. To test the effectiveness of the sentiment lexicon as cross sectional comparison index, pair-wise t-test and Duncan test were conducted. Two pairs of companies, 'Samsung' and 'Hanjin', 'SK' and 'Hanjin' were chosen to compare whether each categorical sentiment is significantly different in pair-wise t-test. Since category 'Sadness' has the largest vocabularies, it is chosen to figure out whether the subgroups of the companies are significantly different in Duncan test. It is proved that five sentiment categories of Samsung and Hanjin and four sentiment categories of SK and Hanjin are different significantly. In category 'Sadness', it has been figured out that there were six subgroups that are significantly different. To test the effectiveness of the sentiment lexicon as time series comparison index, 'nut rage' incident of Hanjin is selected as an example case. Term frequency of sentiment words of the month when the incident happened and term frequency of the one month before the event are compared. Sentiment categories was redivided into positive/negative sentiment, and it is tried to figure out whether the event actually has some negative impact on public sentiment of the company. The difference in each category was visualized, moreover the variation of word list of sentiment 'Rage' was shown to be more concrete. As a result, there was huge before-and-after difference of sentiment that ordinary people feel to the company. Both hypotheses have turned out to be statistically significant, and therefore sentiment analysis in business area using multi-categorical sentiment lexicons has persuasive power. This research implies that categorical sentiment analysis can be used as an alternative method to supplement dimensional sentiment analysis when figuring out public sentiment in business environment.