• Title/Summary/Keyword: national pandemic

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Change in Occurrence of Rice stripe virus Disease (벼줄무늬잎마름병의 발생변화)

  • Lee, Bong Choon;Cho, Sang-Yun;Yoon, Young-Nam;Kang, In Jeong;Lee, Jong Hee;Kwak, Do Yeon;Shin, Dong Bum;Kang, Hang-Won
    • Research in Plant Disease
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.402-405
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    • 2012
  • We surveyed the occurrence of Rice stripe virus (RSV) disease in 672 fields from 29 rice representative area in July 2012 as nationwide survey for RSV occurrence since 2008. We confirmed occurrence of virus disease in 18 areas, in west coast region including Secheon, Taean, Buwan and Cheorwon. RSV incidence rates of plant in Sacheon and Buan were less than 0.01% and 0.15%, respectively, showing similar rate with the nationwide survey carried out in 2008, whereas incidence rate of field declined from 19.9% in 2008 to 4.9% in 2012. Earlier, RSV occurred largely across the southern region of Korea. In 2001, RSV disease was found in Gangwha and Gyeonggi-do, the northern region of Korea. In 2007, RSV appeared in west coast; Buan in Jeollabuk-do and Seocheon in Choongnam-do. After migration of the vector, small brown plant hopper, from China in 2009, RSV is becoming a pandemic.

Filtration Efficiencies of Commercial Face Masks in Korea for Biological Aerosols (국내 출시 마스크의 바이오에어로졸 여과효율 평가)

  • Choi, Sueun;Choi, Doseon;Jang, Sung Jae;Park, SungJun;Yoon, Chungsik;Lee, Kiyoung;Ko, GwangPyo;Lee, Cheonghoon
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.48 no.2
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    • pp.116-122
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    • 2022
  • Background: The recent COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst disease outbreaks of the 21th century. Due to a lack of reliable antiviral therapeutics, wearing face masks is recommended to prevent airborne infection originating from virus-contaminated bioaerosols. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the filtration efficiencies of face masks that are commercially available in South Korea for a biological aerosol of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and murine coronavirus, a well-known surrogate for human coronaviruses. Methods: We collected six different kinds of commercial masks: two Korea Filter (KF)94 (KF94-1, KF94-2) masks, one surgical (Surgical-1) mask, one anti-droplet (KF-AD-1) mask, and two dust (Dust-1, Dust-2) face masks. S. aureus (ATCC 6538), a well-performing test bacteria and murine coronavirus (ATCC VR-764) were prepared under a suitable culture condition. Then, a mask biological filtration tester was used to examine the microbial filtration efficiencies of masks. Test microorganisms were quantitatively measured via cultivation methods and microbial filtration efficiencies were calculated appropriately. Results: All face masks showed over 99.6% filtration efficiency for S. aureus or murine coronavirus. There were no significant differences among the bacterial filtration efficiencies of the face masks. KF94-1 (99.97±0.08%) and Dust-1 mask (99.97±0.07%) showed the highest (over 99.9%) filtration efficiency for murine coronavirus. KF94-1 or Dust-1 masks showed a significant virus filtration efficiency compared to Surgical-1 mask (p<0.05; Mann-Whitney U test). Conclusions: All the commercially available face masks used in this study can filter S. aureus or murine coronavirus in bioaerosols efficiently, regardless of the mask type. Therefore, our results suggest that wearing a certified face mask is a reliable means to prevent the transmission of infectious airborne diseases via biological aerosols.

Mask-wearing Characteristics an COVID-19 in Indoor and Outdoor Environments in Seoul in 2020 (2020년 코로나바이러스감염증-19 유행 상황에서 서울시 다중이용 시설 및 실외에서의 마스크 착용 행태)

  • Kang, Sohyun;Guak, Sooyoung;Bataa, Altangerel;Kim, Donghyun;Jung, Youngdeok;Shin, Jiyoon;Lee, Kiyoung
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.46 no.6
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    • pp.750-756
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    • 2020
  • Objectives: After coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic, the South Korean government announced guidelines on wearing masks to prevent its spread. The guidelines have changed depending on the severity of the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to identify mask-wearing behaviours to counter the spread of COVID-19 in indoor and outdoor environments. Methods: The type of mask worn and proper wearing were observed in cafés, supermarkets, underground shopping malls, and streets in Seoul. Behavioral assessment was repeated in August at social distancing levels 1 and 2, in October at social distancing level 1, and in November after the mask mandates. Results: In August, 22.1% of subjects in cafés, 90.8% in supermarkets, 91.8% in underground shopping malls, and 83.6% on outdoor streets wore masks properly. In October, the proportion of correct wearers increased in all locations. After masks became mandatory in November, about 97% of users of supermarkets, underground shopping malls, and streets wore masks properly. In cafés, the proportion of proper wearers was 61.5% with both social distancing level 2 in August and the mandate in November. The number of KF-certified mask wearers continued to increase from August to November. Conclusion: This study investigated mask-wearing behaviors to counter COVID-19 through observations in indoor and outdoor places in Seoul. Mask-wearing behavior was different depending on the place and the government guidelines in place. The results could be used for evaluation of the current guidelines for COVID-19.

Location Efficiencies of Host Countries for Strategic Offshoring Decisions Amid Wealth Creation Opportunities and Supply Chain Risks

  • Ma, Jin-Hee;Ahn, Young-Hyo
    • Journal of Korea Trade
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    • v.25 no.3
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    • pp.21-47
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    • 2021
  • Purpose - Offshoring has emerged as one of the major trends in international trade and has become one of the strategies for achieving competitiveness in the global market. In spite of this, the expected gains of offshoring can be offset by hidden costs and risks, such as those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade war between the USA and China, and the ongoing trade dispute between Korea and Japan. To obviate such business failure and prevent critical business blunders, offshoring strategies that efficiently consider both risk elements and potential wealth creation are urgently need. The first purpose of this study is to contribute to the development of more advanced offshoring strategies to help host countries select the best locations to manage supply chain risks and create unique value. The second purpose is to specifically analyze the current status of Korea and provide Korean companies with implications to be considered when deciding whether to offshore or re-shore. Design/methodology - A Network DEA model was applied to measure the comparative location efficiency of national competencies for offshoring strategy from perspectives of wealth creation opportunities (profitability and marketability) and supply chain risk management. The location efficiencies are compared among a total 70 countries selected from the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and globally attractive locations outlined by Kearney (2017). For the secondary analysis of efficiency, a t-test examining the nature of competitive advantage and the level of sophistication in production processes was implemented in three divisions. We then analyzed differences in offshoring performance in terms of the identified national traits. Moreover, Tobit regression analysis is conducted to investigate the correlation between value-added business activities and each divisional efficiency, seeking to determine how each degree of value-added business activity influences the increase in offshoring productivity. Findings - Regarding overall location efficiency for offshoring performance, only the USA and Italy were identified as being efficient as host countries for offshoring, under circumstances of advanced development, such as productivity and risk management. Korea ranks 13th among 70 countries. The determinants of national competitiveness depend on national traits (the nature of competitive advantage and business sophistication). Countries with labor/resource advantages and labor-intensive industries are more competitive in terms of marketability than others. In contrast, countries with strong technology-intensive industries benefit offshoring companies, particularly in the technology sector, with the added advantage of supply chain risk management. As the perception of a value chain is broader in a country, it can achieve both production sophistication and competitive advantages such as marketability and SCRM. Originality/value - Existing studies focus on offshoring effectiveness from a company perspective. This paper contributes to comparing country efficiency in producing core competencies related to an offshoring strategy and also segments countries into three performance-based considerations associated with the global offshoring market. It also details Korea's position as an offshoring location according to national efficiency and competency.

A Study on Agrifood Purchase Decision-making and Online Channel Selection according to Consumer Characteristics, Perceived Risks, and Eating Lifestyles (소비자 특성, 지각된 위험, 식생활 라이프스타일에 따른 농식품 구매결정 및 온라인 구매채널 선택에 관한 연구)

  • Lee, Myoung-Kwan;Park, Sang-Hyeok;Kim, Yeon-Jong
    • Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Venturing and Entrepreneurship
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    • v.16 no.1
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    • pp.147-159
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    • 2021
  • After the 2020 Corona 19 pandemic, consumers' online consumption is increasing rapidly, and non-store online retail channels are showing high growth. In particular, social media is gaining its status as a social media market where direct transactions take place in the means of promoting companies' brands and products. In this study, changes in consumer behavior after the Corona 19 pandemic are different in choosing online shopping media such as existing online shopping malls and SNS markets that can be classified into open social media and closed social media when purchasing agri-food online. We tried to find out what type of product is preferred in the selection of agri-food products. For this study, demographic characteristics of consumers, perceived risk of consumers, and dietary lifestyle were set as independent variables to investigate the effect on online shopping media type and product selection. The summary of the empirical analysis results is as follows. When consumers purchase agri-food online, there are significant differences in demographic characteristics, consumer perception risks, and detailed factors of dietary lifestyle in selecting shopping channels such as online shopping malls, open social media, and closed social media. Appeared to be. The consumers who choose the open SNS market are higher in men than in women, with lower household income, and higher in consumers seeking health and taste. Consumers who choose the closed SNS market were analyzed as consumers who live in rural areas and have a high degree of risk perception for delivery. Consumers who choose existing online shopping malls have high educational background, high personal income, and high consumers seeking taste and economy. Through this study, we tried to provide practical assistance by providing a basis for judgment to farmers who have difficulty in selecting an online shopping medium suitable for their product characteristics. As a shopping channel for agri-food, social media is not a simple promotional channel, but a direct transaction. It can be differentiated from existing studies in that it is approached as a market that arises.

One step multiplex RT-PCR preventing DNA carryover contamination for differential diagnosis of swine influenza viruses (DNA 교차 오염 방지 기능을 가진 돼지 인플루엔자바이러스 감별진단용 one-step multiplex RT-PCR 진단법)

  • Kim, Hee-Jung;Kim, Eun-Mi;Shin, Yeun-Kyung;Song, Jae-Young;Kim, Seong-Hee;Lee, Kyoung-Ki;Lee, Myoung-Heon;Kim, Young-Hwa;Park, Jun-Cheol;Yeo, Sang-Geon;Park, Choi-Kyu
    • Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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    • v.37 no.4
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    • pp.263-271
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    • 2014
  • In this study, we developed a cost and time saving one-step multiplex RT-PCR for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of swine influenza viruses (SIV) and 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1 virus (pH1N1). The one-step multiplex RT-PCR using four sets of primer was confirmed to be capable of detection of all SIV subtypes and differential diagnosis of major SIV subtype H1, H3 and pH1N1 on individual or mixed viral culture samples. The sensitivity of the multiplex RT-PCR was determined to be at least $2^{-6}$ $HA/25{\mu}L$ of the presented SIVs, providing sufficient efficacy for a routine SIV monitoring in diagnostic laboratories. In addition, compared with the conventional RT-PCR methods that cannot avoid the carryover DNA contamination, the developed RT-PCR applied with the uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG) system was proven to prevent a false positive reaction by carryover contamination of the pre-amplified DNA. In conclusion, the one-step RT-PCR with UNG system could be applicable to detect and differentiate of SIV from the viral cultures without worry of carryover DNA contamination in clinical laboratories.

Development and Application of Assessment Items for the Diagnosis of Difficulties in Learning Elementary Mathematics (초등학교 수학 학습 어려움 진단을 위한 평가 문항 개발 및 적용 연구)

  • Kim, Hee-jeong;Cho, Hyungmi;Ko, Eun-Sung;Lee, Donghwan;Cho, Jinwoo;Choi, Jisun;Han, Chaereen;Hwang, Jihyun
    • Journal of the Korean School Mathematics Society
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    • v.25 no.3
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    • pp.261-278
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    • 2022
  • The purpose of this study is to develop an assessment to diagnose difficulties in learning mathematics and misconstructions that elementary students have. With thorough theoretical background and analysis of mathematics curriculum documents, we established learning trajectories for the following content areas in grades 3 to 6: number and operation, regularity, data and chance, geometry, and measurement. Then, the research team created the assessment items targeting a specific stage in the learning trajectories and including item options to identify possible misconceptions. Based on the unified validity theory, we reported the detailed procedure of the assessment development and the evidence for the content, substance, and structural validity of the assessment. We collected the data of 675 elementary students. Rasch measurement modeling was applied, and Cronbach's alpha was estimated. We considered how to report students' assessment results to teachers appropriately and immediately, which suggested important implications for supporting teaching and learning mathematics in elementary schools. We also suggested how to use the assessment developed in this study in online and distance learning environments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Development and Sensory Characteristics of Seasoned Broughton's Ribbed Ark Scapharca broughtonii Soy Sauce with Added Mustard Leaf Brassica juncea (갓(Brassica juncea)을 첨가한 간장 피조개(Scapharca broughtonii)장의 개발 및 관능특성)

  • Kang, Sang In;Kim, Ye Jin;Lee, Ji Un;Park, Si Hyeong;Choi, Kwan Su;Song, Ho-Su;Choi, Jung-Mi;Heu, Min Soo;Lee, Jung Suck
    • Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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    • v.54 no.6
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    • pp.880-889
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    • 2021
  • The home meal replacement (HMR) market has attracted significant attention due to COVID-19 pandemic and products that utilize the combination of different processed ingredients are now being developed. In this study, Broughton's ribbed ark Scapharca broughtonii was soaked in seasoned soy sauce with the incorporation of mustard leaf Brassica juncea (M-BRA), which is known to have a unique texture as well as excellent functional properties such as antioxidation, to develop a regional specialty product. The optimal conditions for manufacturing M-BRA from the seasoned soy sauce (the sauce to be added [X1] and the soaking time [X2]), were examined using response surface methodology (RSM) to analyze the significance of the salinity (Y1), amino-N content (Y2), and overall acceptance (Y3). The coefficient of determination (R2) between X1-X2 and Y1-Y3 were close to 1, thereby confirming the suitability of the RSM model. The optimal conditions were seasoned soy sauce addition of 140% and soaking time of 156 min. The M-BRA manufactured under these conditions exhibited superior overall acceptance compared to seasoned commercial soy sauce, which was used as a control. We expect that the market for M-BRA manufactured by combining marine and agricultural materials will expand owing to superior overall acceptance compared with commercial products.

Antiviral Activity of Plant-derived Natural Products against Influenza Viruses (식물 유래 천연물의 인플루엔자에 대한 항바이러스 활성)

  • Kim, Seonjeong;Kim, Yewon;Kim, Ju Won;Hwang, Yu-bin;Kim, Seong Hyeon;Jang, Yo Han
    • Journal of Life Science
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    • v.32 no.5
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    • pp.375-390
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    • 2022
  • Influenza viruses are zoonotic respiratory pathogens, and influenza infections have caused a substantial burden on public health systems and the livestock industry. Although currently approved seasonal influenza vaccines have shown potent protection efficacy against antigenically well-matched strains, there are considerable unmet needs for the efficient control of viral infections. Enormous efforts have been made to develop broadly protective universal influenza vaccines to tackle the huge levels of genetic diversity and variability of influenza viruses. In addition, antiviral drugs have been considered important interventions for the treatment of viral infections. The viral neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir is the most widely used antiviral medication to treat influenza A and influenza B viruses. However, unsatisfactory clinical outcomes resulting from side effects and the emergence of resistant variants have led to greater attention being paid to plants as a natural resource for anti-influenza drugs. In particular, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has underpinned the need for safe and effective antiviral drugs with a broad spectrum of antiviral activity to prevent the rapid spread of viruses among humans. This review outlines the results of the antiviral activities of various natural products isolated from plants against influenza viruses. Special focus is paid to the virucidal effects and the immune-enhancing effects of antiviral natural products, since the products have broad applications as inactivating agents for the preparation of inactivated vaccines and vaccine adjuvants.

Academic Effectiveness of Non-face-to-face Classes in Deciduous Tooth Morphology Practice during COVID-19 Pandemic (COVID-19 대유행 시기에 유치 치아형태학 실습을 통한 비대면 수업의 학습 효과)

  • Hyeji, Son;Jongseong, Kim;Gimin, Kim;Hyunjung, Kim;Soonhyeun, Nam;Jaesik, Lee
    • Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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    • v.49 no.3
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    • pp.310-320
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    • 2022
  • This study aimed to evaluate the academic effectiveness of non-face-to-face classes in deciduous tooth morphology practice. Under the course name dental morphology, a total of 60 dental students took face-to-face classes while 55 pre-dental students took non-face-to-face classes. Students were required to submit their practical assignments after 5 weeks of practical classes. To evaluate the academic effectiveness of non-face-to-face classes, practical assignments were scored by an evaluator and compared with face-to-face classes using the Mann-Whitney U test and the chi-square test. The results showed that the practical score in face-to-face classes was 77.43 ± 5.97 and the practical score in non-face-to-face classes was 76.04 ± 5.83. There was no significant difference in the academic effectiveness of face-to-face classes compared to non-face-to-face classes in deciduous tooth morphology practice (p > 0.05). This study suggests that non-face-to-face classes on introductory practice such as the dental morphology course can provide comparable quality to the education taught in traditional face-to-face classes.