• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.407-418
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• 2020

Mass mortality of mariculture fish due to high summer temperatures is a major issue in the mariculture industry in many coastal waters of Korea, yet measures to mitigate the impact are generally limited. We injected a micro-bubble of liquefied oxygen into the bottom of rockfish cages (about 6-8 m deep) in order to maximize the dispersal of micro-bubbled seawater and reduce fish mortality. The injection of low-temperature oxygen in micro-bubbles lowered the water temperature at the injection area by as much as 1℃ and increased dissolved oxygen concentration by 0.5 ppm. In early August, following a week with persistent high water temperature (above 28.5℃), there was an increase in fish mortality despite the micro-bubble system, which resulted in approximately 7% death of the total introduced fish population. However, this mortality appeared to be much lower than mortality reported in a neighboring mariculture facility (approximately 50% mortality). We also estimated the volume that can be recirculated with pumped seawater using a micro-bubble system. We suggest that this approach of injecting liquefied oxygen through a micro-bubble system may reduce fish mortality during high temperature periods.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3105-3108
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• 2013

Background: This study used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III to study the relationship between blood lead concentration and all cause, all cancer and lung cancer mortality in adults. Patients and Methods: Public use National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) data were used. NHANES III uses stratified, multistage probabilistic methods to sample nationally representative samples. Household adult, laboratory and mortality data were merged. Sample persons who were available to be examined in aMobile Examination Center (MEC) were included in this study. Specialized survey analysis software was used. Results: A total of 3,482 sample participants with complete information for all variables were included in this analysis. For all cause death, the odds ratios (S.E.) for statistically significant variables were body mass index, 1.03 (1.01-1.06); 1.01 (1.01-1.01); blood lead concentration, 1.05 (1.01-1.08); poverty income ratio, 0.823 (0.76-0.89); and drinking hard liquor, 1.01 (1.00-1.02). For all cancer mortality, the odds ratios (S.E.) of the statistically signigicant variables were: age, 1.01 (1.01-1.01); blood lead concentration, 1.07 (1.04-1.12), black race, using non-Hispanic white as reference, 1.69 (1.12-2.56); and smoking, 1.02 (1.01-1.04). For lung cancer mortality, the odds ratios (S.E.) of the statistically significant variables were: age, 1.01(1.01-1.01); blood lead concentration, 1.09 (1.05-1.13); Mexican Americans, using non-Hispanic white as refrence, 0.33 (0.129-0.850); other races, 1.80 (0.53-6.18); and smoking, 1.03 (1.02-1.05). Conclusion: Blood lead concentration correlated with all cause, all cancer, and lung cancer mortality in adults.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.14-20
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• 2012

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and quantify the risk of both individual and combined health behaviors on premature mortality in middle aged men in Korea. Methods: In total, 14 533 male subjects 40 to 59 years of age were recruited. At enrollment, subjects completed a baseline questionnaire, which included information about socio-demographic factors, past medical history, and life style. During the follow-up period from 1993 to 2008, we identified 990 all-cause premature deaths using national death certificates. A Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of each health risk behavior, which included smoking, drinking, physical inactivity, and lack of sleep hours. Using the Cox model, each health behavior was assigned a risk score proportional to its regression coefficient value. Health risk scores were calculated for each patient and the HR of all-cause premature mortality was calculated according to risk score. Results: Current smoking and drinking, high body mass index, less sleep hours, and less education were significantly associated with all-cause premature mortality, while regular exercise was associated with a reduced risk. When combined by health risk score, there was a strong trend for increased mortality risk with increased score (p-trend < 0.01). When compared with the 1-9 score group, HRs of the 10-19 and 20-28 score groups were 2.58 (95% confidence intervals [CIs], 2.19 to 3.03) and 7.09 (95% CIs, 5.21 to 9.66), respectively. Conclusions: Modifiable risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, and regular exercise, have considerable impact on premature mortality and should be assessed in combination.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.458-466
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• 2023

Objectives: The association between long sleep duration and mortality is frequently attributed to the confounding influence of comorbidities. Nevertheless, past efforts to account for comorbidities have yielded inconsistent outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate this relationship using a large prospective cohort in Korea. Methods: The study included 114 205 participants from the Health Examinees Study, who were followed for a median of 9.1 years. A composite comorbidity score was developed to summarize the effects of 21 diseases. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality associated with sleep duration were estimated. These estimates were adjusted for socio-demographic factors, lifestyle factors, body mass index, and comorbidity score. Additionally, a stratified analysis by subgroups with and without comorbidities was conducted. Results: Throughout the follow-up period, 2675 deaths were recorded. After all adjustments, an association was observed between a sleep duration of 8 hours or more and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.20). However, no such association was detected in the stratified analysis for the subgroups based on comorbidity status. Conclusions: Long sleep duration was found to be associated with all-cause mortality among Koreans, even after adjusting for comorbidities. Additional studies are required to explore the mechanism underlying the association between sleep duration and major causes of mortality.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.49-55
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• 1999

Mass mortality of the horned turban shell, Batillus cornutus was investigated using histological and bacteriological methods. Some pathogenic bacteria were isolated from mortal or inactive individuals. The pathogenic agents causing mortality of the horned turban shells were as Vibrio alginolyticus and V. anguillarum. Laboratory experiment indicated that optimal growth temperature of two bacteria was 25 to 30$^{\circ}C$ and 3% of NaCl. Histological examination of the horned turban shells showed that gill necrosis is one of the major symptom of infected individuals. It was believed that sudden increase of those two bacterial agents due to environmental change cause mortality of horned turban shells.

• Journal of fish pathology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.135-138
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• 2003

The research was carried out to know the occurrence trend of scuticociliatosis and mortality of fingerlings in flounder. The diseased fish were collected from on-land rearing farms lind hatcheries of flounder in Jeju Island from January 1991 to December 2001. Occurrence of scuticociliatosis was about 10% of total occurred diseases from 1991 to 1996, but increased to 34.5% in 2001. Although monthly occurrence of scuticociliatosis was not related to season from 1999 to 2001, the highest occurrence was revealed in July and August. Mixed infections of bacteria including Vibrio sp. Edwardsiella tarda, Streptococcus sp., and Flexibacter sp. with scuticociliates were observed. Among the bacteria, Vibrio sp. was the highest frequency(40.1%), and the lowest one(10.1%) was Streptococcus sp., Mortality of fingerlings by scuticociliates was different sharply according to size of fish. Mortality of infected fingerlings below 7 cm of total length was 53.8%, while that of normal fingerling above 7 cm of total length was 13.2%. When fish were grown above 25 cm, mass mortality by scuticociliates infection was decreased markedly.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.155-164
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• 2013

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the most important causes of premature mortality and disability-adjusted life years in Korea. NCDs are also the main contributor to socioeconomic inequalities in mortality and life expectancy. Reduction of NCDs and NCD inequalities would result in significant improvement in healthy life expectancy and health equity in Korea. Major NCD risk factors such as dietary risks (including salt intake), alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and high blood pressure were found to be the leading modifiable risk factors of disability-adjusted life years in Korea, based on the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study. Several Korean studies have shown that these risk factors play an important role in creating socioeconomic inequalities in NCD mortality and total mortality. Current international discussions on NCD policies in the United Nations and the World Health Organization would provide better opportunities for developing aggressive population-wide policy measures in Korea. Considering the paucity of population-wide policies to control major NCD risk factors in Korea, rigorous population approaches such as taxation and regulation of unhealthy commodities as well as public education and mass campaigns should be further developed in Korea.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.79-83
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• 2010

Since 1998, a new viral disease with high mortality has been consistently recorded in Korea in cultured carp, Cyprinus carpio. In this study, we investigated an epizootic of the disease that caused high mortality rates in carp obtained from 11 farms in Korea between 1999 and 2007. Assessment of koi herpesvirus (KHV) levels in diseased carp was carried out to determine if this virus was the etiologic agent of disease in this instance. High mortality rates in carp were recorded mainly in the spring and autumn at water temperatures between $19^{\circ}C$ and $24^{\circ}C$. Diseased fish typically showed surface discoloration, with a thick opaque mucus covering the body and gills. Protozoan parasites and bacteria were recovered from 7/29 (24%) and 2/26 (8%) of fish, respectively. Evidence of viral infection was marked; cytopathic effects (CPEs), characterized by cell rounding and an extended cytoplasm in fathead minnow (FHM) cells, were detected in 40/41 fish (98%). A high mortality rate (80%) resulted when supernatants of cell cultures showing CPEs were applied to previously healthy fish. KHV was detected by polymerase chain reaction in 6/41 fish (15%), but was not detected in supernatants obtained from cell cultures showing CPEs. These results suggest that KHV may not be the etiologic agent of the high mortality occurring among cultured carp in Korea; therefore, some other-as yet unidentified-infective agent must be responsible.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.343-350
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of nutrition related factors on mortality risk among community-residing older adults in Korea. We analyzed data from 8,532 older adults who took part in the 2008 living profiles of older people survey and 2011 death mortality data. According to Cox regression analysis, male (Hazard Ratio [HR], 2.03; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.74~2.37), diabetes mellitus (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.12~1.64), underweighted (HR, 2.68; 95% CI, 2.16~3.31), dysphagia (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.02~1.47), chewing ability (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.11~1.59), and undernutrition (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.23~1.75) significantly affected mortality risk. Systematic nutrition support programs should be developed to decrease the mortality among Korean older adults.

• Journal of Korean Medical Science
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• v.33 no.48
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• pp.312.1-312.10
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• 2018

Background: Obesity is related to several comorbidities and mortality, but its relationship with acute kidney injury (AKI) and long-term mortality remain undetermined in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods: Data from 3,018 patients (age ${\geq}18$ years) who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery from two tertiary referral centers were retrospectively reviewed between 2004 and 2015. Obesity was defined using the body mass index, according to the World Health Organization's recommendation. The odds and hazard ratios in post-surgical, AKI, and all-cause mortality were calculated after adjustment for multiple covariates. Patients were followed for $90{\pm}40.9$ months (maximum: 13 years). Results: Among the cohort, 37.4%, 2.4%, 21.1%, 35.1%, and 4.0% of patients were classified as normal weight, underweight, overweight-at-risk, obese I, and obese II, respectively. Post-surgical AKI developed in 799 patients (26.5%). Patients in the obese groups (overweight-at-risk to obese II) had a higher risk of AKI than did those in the normal-weight group. During the follow-up period, 787 patients (26.1%) died. Underweight patients had a higher risk of mortality than did normal-weight patients, whereas overweight-at-risk, obese I, and obese II patients showed better survival rates. Conclusion: After coronary artery bypass graft surgery, obese patients encountered a high risk of AKI, and underweight patients exhibited a low chance of survival. Awareness of both obese and underweight statuses should be raised in these patients.