• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.443-454
• /
• 2010

Phthalate compounds are widely used as plasticizers in polyvinyl chlororide (PVC) resins and other industrial consumer products, and some of them are known to be endocrine disruptors. In Korea, a number of studies have been carried out for the measurement of phthalates in consumer products and drinking water. However, no data are available for those compounds in the ambient air where the general public are routinely exposed. In this study, we evaluated sampling and analytical methods for the determination of phthalates in the ambient atmosphere. A wide range of phthalates compounds were included in the target analytes, which are dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and di-n-octyl phthalate (DOP). Most of samples were collected using a high volume sampler with a PUF/XAD-2 column/quartz fiber filter and then analyzed by GC/MS. Some of samples were simultaneously collected on XAD-2 using a low-volume sampler, together with high-volume samples. The analytical method applied in this study showed good repeatability and linearity. Quantitative detection limits were estimated from 0.60 to 17.84 ng/$m^3$ in air, depending on individual compounds. The field measurements were carried out at 3 sites located in Sihwa- Banwall industrial areas and a suburban area from January 2007 to November 2007. From the field experiments, DEHP, DMP and DBP appeared to be the most abundant compounds in the ambient air. It was also found that DMP, DEP and DBP were mainly distributed in the vapor phase, while BBP, DEHP and DOP were predominantly associated with the particulate phase. The concentrations of DEHP and DMP in the industrial areas ranged from 45.7 to 1,012.7 ng/$m^3$ and from 7.7 to 375.1 ng/$m^3$, respectively. Overall, the high-volume sampling method was demonstrated to be superior to the low-volume method for the determination of phthalates in the ambient atmosphere.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.39-47
• /
• 2014

The black scraper Thamnaconus modestus was a commercially important fish species in the 1980s, but suddenly its commercial significance decreased in the 1990s mainly due to continuous overfishing. Recently, in order to reverse the depleted stocks of the black scraper and help the species recover, seed production technology has emerged. This has led to the farming of the black scraper in several parts of the southern coast of Korea. Since detailed research on its metabolism in relation to water temperature has been scanty, this was the investigative focus of the present study. The standard metabolism rates of the black scraper (9-10 months old, total length=$22.6{\pm}0.8cm$, wet weight=$140.3{\pm}13.9g$) were measured at seven different water temperature settings (12, 15, 17, 20, 23, 26, $28^{\circ}C$) to understand the relationship between metabolism and water temperature. Relationships between water temperature (WT) and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) were obtained as SOCR (weight-specific oxygen consumption rate) = 0.0117WT - 0.0135 ($r^2=0.9351$) and IOCR (oxygen consumption rate per individual) = 1.8160WT - 5.4007 ($r^2$ = 9428). The $Q_{10}$ (temperature sensitivity), an indicator of the sensitivity of biological function to temperature, was analyzed. In our experiment, when the water temperature increased, the $Q_{10}$ value decreased. The $Q_{10}$ value was 6.27 in waters where the temperature ranged from $12-15^{\circ}C$ and this was much higher than the values obtained in waters where temperatures ranged between (1) $15-23^{\circ}C$ and (2) $23-28^{\circ}C$. Consequently, it was shown that the black scraper is a warm water species and inhabiting waters in the temperature range from $15-28^{\circ}C$ is deemed appropriate.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.21
• /
• pp.9487-9494
• /
• 2014

Background: The size of a hepatic neoplasm is critical for staging, prognosis and selection of appropriate treatment. Our study aimed to compare the radiological size of solid hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) masses on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the pathological size in a Chinese population, and to elucidate discrepancies. Materials and Methods: A total of 178 consecutive patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent curative hepatic resection after enhanced MRI between July 2010 and October 2013 were retrospectively identified and analyzed. Pathological data of the whole removed tumors wereassessed and differences between radiological and pathological tumor size were identified. All patients were restaged using a modified Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system postoperatively according to the maximum diameter alteration. The lesions were classified as hypo-staged, iso-staged or hyper-staged for qualitative assessment. In the quantitative analysis, the relative pre and postoperative tumor size contrast ratio ($%{\Delta}size$) was also computed according to size intervals. In addition, the relationship between radiological and pathological tumor diameter variation and histologic grade was analyzed. Results: Pathological examination showed 85 (47.8%) patients were overestimated, 82 (46.1%) patients underestimated, while accurate measurement by MRI was found in 11 (6.2%) patients. Among the total subjects, 14 (7.9%) patients were hypo-staged and 15 (8.4%) were hyper-staged post-operatively. Accuracy of MRI for calculation and characterized staging was related to the lesion size, ranging from 83.1% to 87.4% (<2cm to ${\geq}5cm$, p=0.328) and from 62.5% to 89.1% (cT1 to cT4, p=0.006), respectively. Overall, MRI misjudged pathological size by 6.0 mm (p=0.588 ), and the greatest difference was observed in tumors <2cm (3.6 mm, $%{\Delta}size=16.9%$, p=0.028). No statistically significant difference was observed for moderately differentiated HCC (5.5mm, p=0.781). However, for well differentiated and poorly differentiated cases, radiographic tumor maximum diameter was significantly larger than the pathological maximum diameter by 3.15 mm and underestimated by 4.51 mm, respectively (p=0.034 and 0.020). Conclusions: A preoperative HCC tumor size measurement using MRI can provide relatively acceptable accuracy but may give rise to discrepancy in tumors in a certain size range or histologic grade. In pathological well differentiated subjects, the pathological tumor size was significantly overestimated, but underestimated in poorly differentiated HCC. The difference between radiological and pathological tumor size was greatest for tumors <2 cm. For some HCC patients, the size difference may have implications for the decision of resection, transplantation, ablation, or arterially directed therapy, and should be considered in staging or selecting the appropriate treatment tactics.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.65 no.3
• /
• pp.183-190
• /
• 2008

Background: The control of active pulmonary tuberculosis is still an issue in community medicine. But there are also considerable needs for supportive management of symptomatic patients with post-tuberculous destroyed lung. Few studies have evaluated clinical characteristics and health-related quality of life in patients with post-tuberculous destroyed lung. Methods: We evaluated lung function, exercise tolerance, HRCT and health-related quality of life measurements using the Korean version of St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) in 22 patients with parenchymal damage to more than a half of one lung due to pulmonary tuberculosis. Results: In the pulmonary function test, mixed defects and obstructive defects were observed in 10 (45.0%) and 9 (40.9%) of patients, respectively. In the cardiopulmonary exercise test, the mean $VO_2max%$ predicted ($39.0%{\pm}10.9%$) and $O_2$ pulse% predicted ($61.3%{\pm}13.6%$) were markedly decreased. In the SGRQ, the impact score (mean $27.8{\pm}18.5$) was significantly lower than the symptom score (mean $53.9{\pm}20.9$) or activity score (mean $50.8{\pm}27.3$) (p<0.05, p<0.01). Cronbach's alpha coefficient value for reliability was more than 0.7 for each subscale and total score. The total score showed a significant negative correlation with $FEV_1%$ predicted (r=-0.46, p<0.05) and $SaO_2$ (r=-0.60, p<0.05). On HRCT, a median of 9 (range 5~15) bronchopulmonary segments were destroyed by less than half, which significantly correlated with SGRQ total score (r=-0.52, p=0.02). Conclusion: The reliability and validity of the Korean version of the SGRQ was acceptable for the measurement of health-related quality of life in patients with post-tuberculous destroyed lung.

• The Korean Journal of Elementary Counseling
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.391-405
• /
• 2012

The purpose of this study is to discover unique personality traits which the children of 5 social status types using 10 clinical scales of Korea Children's personality test (KCPI-S) in order to define the characteristics of 5 social status types developed as the Korean type. For this purpose, two hypotheses were set and tested. The subjects of this study were 502 children who were 4, 5th and 6th grade elementary school boys and girls in A city. 5 social status types and gender of children were set as the independent variables each, and 10 clinical scales of Korea Children's personality test as the dependent variables. The research hypotheses were analyzed in turn by the multivariate analysis (MANOVA) and t-test. The results are as follows: First, the results of analyzing differences in 10 clinical scales in accordance with 5 social status types how the significant differences in all 9 clinical scales except for language development scale, and ${\eta}^2$ representing the explanatory power of the independent variables to dependent variables was found to be in the range of the lowest at 2% up to 10% for each scale. Second, the results of analysis of the gender difference show that in the case of the children with controversial and neglected children, the significant difference was appeared between boys and girls in 8-9 scales among the 10 clinical scales, but in the case of rest 3 social status types (average, popular, rejected children) the difference was appeared between boys and girls only in 2-3 scales. Depending on these results it seems that each of 5 social status types of the children has its own unique personality structure. It is necessary to attend to the fact that in the case of the children with controversial and neglected children, the average value of boys are significantly higher than that of the girls. There is a big possibility that the boys have more psychological problems that the girls. It is judged that in case of these two types the personal traits applying gender should be interpreted. Therefore, the follow-up study should conduct the exploratory research on the structure of the relationship between children's language development and sociality measure. Further, it is necessary to conduct the psychological comparison between genders in the children with controversial and neglected children, and to study the structure of their relationship with rest social status types by genders.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.3-7
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The usefulness of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images in diagnosis, staging, recurrent and treatment response evaluation has already been known. However, tumors which are small size, located in lower lobe of lung or upper lobe of liver are shown misalignment, distortion and different Standard Uptake Value (SUV) by respiration in PET images. Therefore, if radiotherapy based on normal respiration, it may cause low treatment response or more side effects because targets which had to treat, out of treat range or over dose to normal tissue. The purpose of this study is to evaluate attenuation-correction with Average CT (ACT) for more accuracy SUV measurement and minimize artifact by respiration. Materials and Methods: 13 patients, who had tumors which are around the diaphragm, underwent ACT scan after Helical CT (HCT) scan with PET/CT (Discovery DSTE 8; GE Healthcare). We quantified the differences between attenuation corrected image with HCT and attenuation corrected image with ACT in artifact size and maximum SUV ($SUV_{max}$). Artifacts were evaluated by measurement of the curved photogenic area in the lower thorax of the PET images for all patients. $SUV_{max}$ was measured separately at the primary tumors. Analysis program was Advantage Workstation v4.3 (GE Healthcare). Patients were injected with 7.4 MBq (0.2 $mC_i$) per kg of $^{18}F$-FDG and scanned 1 hour after injection. The PET acquisition was 3 minute per bed. Results: Significantly lower artifact were observed in PET/ACT images than in PET/HCT images (below-thoracic artifacts caused by under corrected $1.5{\pm}3.5$ cm vs. $13.4{\pm}4.2$ cm). Significantly higher $SUV_{max}$ were noted in PET/ACT images than in PET/HCT images in the primary tumor. Compared with PET/HCT images, $SUV_{max}$ in PET/ACT images were higher by $5.3{\pm}3.9%$ (mean value) tumor. The highest difference was observed in Lower lobe of lung (7.7 to 8.7; 13%). Conclusion: Due to its significantly reduced artifacts in lower thoracic, attenuation corrected image with ACT images provided more reliable $SUV_{max}$ and may be helpful in monitoring treatment response. Moreover, ACT can separate upper lobe of liver and lower lobe of lung, it may be helpful in interpretation. ACT will be clinically useful, considering increased dose caused by ACT scan and adapt.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.142-149
• /
• 2011

An isocratic high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for routine analysis of deoxynivalenol in noodles was validated and estimated the measurement uncertainty. Noodles (dried noodle and ramyeon) were analyzed by HPLC-ultraviolet detection using immunoaffinity column for clean-up. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 7.5 ${\mu}g$/kg and 18.8 ${\mu}g$/kg, respectively. The calibration curve showed a good linearity, with correlation coefficients $r^2$ of 0.9999 in the concentration range from 20 to 500 ${\mu}g$/kg. Recoveries and Repeatabilities expressed as coefficients of variation (CV) spiked with 200 and 500 ${\mu}g$/kg were $82{\pm}2.7%$ and $87{\pm}1.3%$% in dried noodle, and $97{\pm}1.6%$ and $91{\pm}12.0%$ in ramyeon, respectively. The uncertainty sources in measurement process were identified as sample weight, final volume, and sample concentration in extraction volume as well as components such as standard stock solution, working standard solution, 5 standard solutions, calibration curve, matrix, and instrument. Deoxynivalenol concentration and expanded uncertainty in two matrixes spiked with 200 ${\mu}g$/kg and 500 ${\mu}g$/kg were estimated to be $163.8{\pm}52.1$ and $435.2{\pm}91.6\;{\mu}g$/kg for dried noodle, and $194.3{\pm}33.0$ and $453.2{\pm}91.1\;{\mu}g$/kg for ramyeon using a coverage factor of two which gives a level of statistical confidence with approximately 95%. The most influential component among uncertainty sources was the recovery of matrix, followed by calibration curve.

• The Journal of Korean Society for Radiation Therapy
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.123-129
• /
• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate dosimetric characteristics of Optically stimulated luminescent dosimeters (OSLD) for dosimetry Materials and Methods: InLight/OSL $NanoDot^{TM}$ dosimeters was used including $Inlight^{TM}MicroStar$ Reader, Solid Water Phantom, and Linear accelerator ($TRYLOGY^{(R)}$) OSLDs were placed at a Dmax in a solid water phantom and were irradiated with 100 cGy of 6 MV X-rays. Most irradiations were carried out using an SSD set up 100 cm, $10{\times}10\;cm^2$ field and 300 MU/min. The time dependence were measured at 10 minute intervals. The dose dependence were measured from 50 cGy to 600 cGy. The energy dependence was measured for nominal photon beam energies of 6, 15 MV and electron beam energies of 4-20 MeV. The dose rate dependence were also measured for dose rates of 100-1,000 MU/min. Finally, the PDD was measured by OSLDs and Ion-chamber. Results: The reproducibility of OSLD according to the Time flow was evaluated within ${\pm}2.5%$. The result of Linearity of OSLD, the dose was increased linearly up to about the 300 cGy and increased supralinearly above the 300 cGy. Energy and dose rate dependence of the response of OSL detectors were evaluated within ${\pm}2%$ and ${\pm}3%$. $PDD_{10}$ and PDD20 which were measured by OSLD was 66.7%, 38.4% and $PDD_{10}$ and $PDD_{20}$ which were measured by Ion-chamber was 66.6%, 38.3% Conclusion: As a result of analyzing characteration of OSLD, OSLD was evaluated within ${\pm}3%$ according to the change of the time, enregy and dose rate. The $PDD_{10}$ and $PDD_{20}$ are measured by OSLD and ion-chamber were evaluated within 0.3%. The OSL response is linear with a dose in the range 50~300 cGy. It was possible to repeat measurement many times and progress of the measurement of reading is easy. So the stability of the system and linear dose response relationship make it a good for dosimetry.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.49 no.7
• /
• pp.625-634
• /
• 2016

Three leading agencies under different ministries - Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) in the ministry of Environment, Han river control office in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) and Weather Group of ROK Air Force in the Ministry of National Defense (MND) - have been operated radars in the purpose of observing weather, hydrology and military operational weather in Korea. Eight S-band dual-pol. radars have been newly installed or replaced by these ministries over different places by 2015. However each ministry has different aims of operating radars, observation strategies, data processing algorithms, etc. Due to the differences, there is a wide level of accuracy on observed radar data as well as the composite images made of the cross governmental radar measurement. Gaining fairly high level of accuracy on radar data obtained by different agencies has been shared as a great concern by the ministries. Thus, "an agreement of harmonizing weather and hydrological radar products" was made by the three ministries in 2010. Particularly, this is very important to produce better rainfall estimation using the cross governmental radar measurement. Weather Radar Center(WRC) in KMA has been developed an empirical method using measurements observed by Yongin testbed radar. This study is aiming to examine the efficiency of the empirical method to improve the accuracies of radar rainfalls estimated from cross governmental dual-pol. radar measurements. As a result, the radar rainfalls of three radars (Baengnyeongdo, Biseulsan, and, Sobaeksan Radar) were shown improvement in accuracy (1-NE) up to 70% using data from May to October in 2015. Also, the range of the accuracies in radar rainfall estimation, which were from 30% to 60% before adjusting polarimetric variables, were decreased from 65% to 70% after adjusting polarimetric variables.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.39-48
• /
• 2011

The present survey was conducted to provide basic information on automatic milking system (AMS) in relation to purchase motive, milk yield and quality, customer satisfaction, difficulties of operation and customer suggestions, etc. Purchase motives of AMS were insufficient labor (44%), planning of dairy experience farm (25%), better performance of high yield cows (19%) and others (6%), respectively. Average cow performance after using AMS was 30.9l/d for milk yield, 3.9% for milk fat, 9,100/ml for bacterial counts. Sixty-eight percentage of respondents were very positive in response to AMS use for their successors but 18% were negative. The AMS operators were owner (44%), successor (44%), wife (6%) and company worker (6%), respectively. The most difficulty (31%) in using AMS was operating the system and complicated program manual. The rate of response to system error and breakdown was 25%. The reasons for culling cow after using AMS were mastitis (28%), reproduction failure (19%), incorrect teat placement (12%), metabolic disease (7%) and others (14%), respectively. Fifty-six percentages of the respondents made AMS maintenance contract and 44% did not. Average annual cost of the maintenance contract was 6,580,000 won. Average score for AMS satisfaction measurement (1 to 5 range) was 3.2 with decrease of labor cost 3.7, company A/S 3.6, increase of milk yield 3.2 and decrease of somatic cell count 2.8, respectively. Suggestions for the higher efficiency in using AMS were selecting cows with correct udder shape and teat placement, proper environment, capital and land, and attitude for continuous observation. Systematic consulting was highly required for AMS companies followed by low cost for AMS setup and systematization of A/S.