• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.20 no.3 s.50
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• pp.209-213
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• 2005

Due to steady increase of childhood asthma, exposure to air toxics including PAHs have been thought as an etiology for the asthma. PAHs -involvement in airway inflammation, such as IgE production, is the potential mechanism of the PAHs-induced asthma. Cytochrome P450s (CYPs), particularly CYP1A1 is known enzyme to metabolite PAHs and to be induced by PAHs. The CYP1A1 expression has been emphasized as an biomarker for PAHs - exposure. The present study was performed to clarify the etiology of childhood asthma with PAHs-exposure using mRNA expression of CYP1A1 . The study Objects were Korean children who were asthma patients (cases) or other hospital controls (N=20; age,3 $\~$ 16; boys,56$\%$). As result, we detected expression of the CYP1A1 in all peripheral blood specimens which were collected from the subjects. Moreover, we found approx. 300 fold-higher expression of the CYP1A1 in the cases than that in the controls (p(<)0.01). When we considered age which was related to Asthma, the above significant trend was somewhat diluted, however, the relation between asthma and the Cypih i expression waL stronger than that between asthma and age (chi square,7.99 vs. 3.34). Therefore, our study supports that PAHs induce or worse childhood asthma and suggests application of expression of the CYP1A1 as an initiation or progress biomarker for PAHs - induced childhood asthma.

• Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.73-80
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• 2000

Aerodynamics in a naturally ventilated multi-span greenhouse with plants was analyzed numerically by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. To investigate the potential application of CFD techniques to greenhouse design and analysis, the numerical results of the CFD model were compared with the results of a steady-state mass and energy balance numerical model. Assuming the results of the mass and energy balance model as the standard, reasonably good agreement was obtained between the natural ventilation rates computed by the CFD numerical model and the mass and energy balance model. The steady-state CFD model during a sunny day showed negative errors as high as 15% in the morning and comparable positive errors in the afternoon. Such errors assumed to be due to heat storage in the floor, benches, and greenhouse structure. For a west wind of 2.5 m s$^{-1}$ , the internal nonporous shading screens that opened to the east were predicted to have a 15.6% better air exchange rate than opened to the west. It was generally predicted that the presence of nonporous internal shading screens significantly reduced natural ventilation if the horizontal opening of the screen for each span was smaller that the effective roof vent opening.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.136-141
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• 2013

Background: Occupational end users of pesticides may experience bodily absorption of the pesticide products they use, risking possible health effects. The purpose of this paper is to provide a guide for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers working in the field of agricultural health or other areas where occupational end use of pesticides and exposure issues are of interest. Methods: This paper characterizes the health effects of pesticide exposure, jobs associated with pesticide use, pesticide-related tasks, absorption of pesticides through the skin, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for reducing exposure. Conclusions: Although international and national efforts to reduce pesticide exposure through regulatory means should continue, it is difficult in the agricultural sector to implement engineering or system controls. It is clear that use of PPE does reduce dermal pesticide exposure but compliance among the majority of occupationally exposed pesticide end users appears to be poor. More research is needed on higher-order controls to reduce pesticide exposure and to understand the reasons for poor compliance with PPE and identify effective training methods.

• Mycobiology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.210-213
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• 2013

The objectives of this study were to evaluate applicability of food waste compost (FWC) as a substrate for cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum, Lentinula edodes, and Pholiota adipose, and to determine contents of Ca, Mg, Na, and K in fruiting bodies (FB). FB yield per substrate in FWC-free controls was $53{\pm}4g/kg$ for G. lucidum, $270{\pm}90g/kg$ for L. edodes, and $1,430{\pm}355g/kg$ for P. adipose. Substrates supplemented with FWC showed the highest FB production at FWC content of 10% for G. lucidum ($64{\pm}6g/kg$), and 13% for L. edodes ($665{\pm}110g/kg$) and P. adipose ($2,345{\pm}395g/kg$), which were 1.2~2.5 times higher than the values for the controls. P. adipose contained higher amounts of mineral elements than the other species. Ca, Mg, Na, and K content in FB did not show a significant relation to FWC content.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.457-467
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• 2019

Because non-point source pollution is very closely related to hydrological characteristics, its importance is highly emphasized nowadays along with accelerating climate change. Especially for Korea, the non-point source pollution and its control are entirely depending on runoff, precipitation, drainage, land use or development, based on geographical and topographical reasons of Korea. Many studies reported the physical (e.g., apparatus- and natural-type facilities, etc.) and chemical methods (e.g., organic and inorganic coagulants, etc.) of controling non-point pollutant source pollution, however, those are needed to be reconsidered along with climate change causing the unexpected patterns and amounts of precipitation and strengthen complexity of social community. The objectives of this study are to assess recent situations of non-point source pollution in Korea and its control means and to introduce possible effective ways of non-point source pollution against climate change in near future.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.150-156
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• 2005

Analysis of chromosome aberration (CA) and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay in peripheral lymphocytes of nurses exposed to low levels of anticancer drug and Ethylene Oxide(EO) gas in a hospital were performed. The frequency of CA was increased in the exposed compared to the controls whereas no increase of the frequency of MN was found. The frequencies of chromatid type CA were 1.2, 3.91 and 9.67 per 500 cells in the controls, workers exposed to anticancer drug and workers exposed to EO, respectively. Lower frequency of CA in nurses handling anticancer drugs with safety covers compared to those without safety covers was observed, but it was not statistically significant. The frequency of CA in nurses handling anticancer drugs increased by the frequency of mixing anticancer drugs. Poisson regression analysis showed a significant association of the frequency of chromatid type CA with age, duration of wort exposure to anticancer drug and EO gas exposure, but no association of the frequency of chromosome type CA with any variables. The results suggested that there were associations between CA and the occupational exposure to low levels of anticancer drug and EO gas.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.213-225
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• 2012

Sap flux density (SFD) measurements were used, in combination with morphological characteristics of trees and forest structure, to calculate whole-tree transpiration, stand transpiration (St) and mean canopy stomatal conductance (Gs). Analysis based on the relationships between the morphological characteristics of trees and whole tree water use, and on the responses of SFD and Gs to short wave radiation (RR), vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and soil water content (SWC) during drought and non-drought periods were conducted. The results showed a strong positive correlation between whole tree transpiration and both tree diameter at breast height (DBH) ($r^2$ = 0.95, P < 0.05) and sapwood area (SA) ($r^2$ = 0.98, P < 0.05). Relationships between SFD and DBH ($r^2$ = 0.25), as well as SA ($r^2$ = 0.17) were weak. Daily SFD of Quercus serrata Thunb was closely related to VPD and RR. Although operating at different time scales, RR and VPD were important interacting environmental controls of tree water use. SFD increased with increasing VPD (<1 kPa) and RR. SWC had a considerable effect on stand transpiration during the drought period. The relationships between SFD, VPD and RR were distorted when SWC dropped below 35%.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.377-382
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• 2012

Recent research has demonstrated that treating poultry litter with alum (aluminum sulfate) and aluminum chloride can remove environmental threats (ammonia, soluble phosphorus and odor) posed by litter. However, scientific information available on heavy metal in poultry litter with liquid aluminum chloride is still lacked. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of applying liquid aluminum chloride to rice hulls on heavy metals and to provide basic information to producers. Six hundred 0-d-old broiler were assigned to 4 treatments (control, 100 g, 200 g and 300 g of liquid $AlCl_3$/kg of rice hulls, respectively) with 3 replicates of 50 birds. The experimental period lasted for 6 weeks. Liquid $AlCl_3$ was sprayed on the rice hulls surface using a small hand pump. Total Al contents increased (P<0.05) with the increasing levels of liquid $AlCl_3$ levels over time in comparison with control groups. Total Cu and Pb were lowered in all liquid $AlCl_3$ treatments compared with the controls during 6 weeks. Significant differences in all treatments were found for total Cu contents at 2, 3 and 5 weeks and total Pb at 0, 1, 2 and 3 weeks. Total Zn contents decreased with time when compared with controls. However, no significant differences in total Zn contents were observed among all treatments. In light of environmental managements, spraying liquid $AlCl_3$ to rice hulls indicated the significant advantages in reducing heavy metals as well as improving poultry industrial competitiveness.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.156-160
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• 2016

Background: Workers in pesticide manufacturing industries are constantly exposed to pesticides. Genetic biomonitoring provides an early identification of potential cancer and genetic diseases in exposed populations. The objectives of this biomonitoring study were to assess DNA damage through comet assay in blood samples collected from industry workers and compare these results with those of classical analytical techniques used for complete blood count analysis. Methods: Samples from controls (n = 20) and exposed workers (n = 38) from an industrial area in Multan, Pakistan, were subjected to various tests. Malathion residues in blood samples were measured by gas chromatography. Results: The exposed workers who were employed in the pesticide manufacturing industry for a longer period (i.e., 13-25 years) had significantly higher DNA tail length ($7.04{\mu}m$) than the controls ($0.94{\mu}m$). Workers in the exposed group also had higher white blood cell and red blood cell counts, and lower levels of mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), MCH concentration, and mean corpuscular volume in comparison with normal levels for these parameters. Malathion was not detected in the control group. However, in the exposed group, 72% of whole blood samples had malathion with a mean value of 0.14 mg/L (range 0.01-0.31 mg/L). Conclusion: We found a strong correlation ($R^2=0.91$) between DNA damage in terms of tail length and malathion concentration in blood. Intensive efforts and trainings are thus required to build awareness about safety practices and to change industrial workers' attitude to prevent harmful environmental and anthropogenic effects.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1935-1937
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• 2015

The potential association between the GSTM1 deletion polymorphism and risk of cervical cancer was investigated in Northeastern Thailand. DNA was extracted from buffy coat specimens of 198 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and 198 age-matched healthy controls. Genotyping of the GSTM1 was conducted by using two PCR methods, a short- and a long-PCR. Distribution of the GSTM1 genotypes in between the cases and the controls was not significantly different (p>0.5 by ${\chi}^2$ test). The results suggest that the GSTM1 deletion polymorphism is not a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix in the northeast Thai women.