• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 2005

Bioassay using the marine bacteria, Vibrio fischeri and rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, and chemical analyses were conducted to assess the toxicity of the various sewage sludges, one of the major ocean dumped materials in the Yellow Sea of Korea. Sludge elutriates extracted by filtered seawater were used to estimate the ecotoxicity of the sludge. Chemical characterization included the analyses of organic contents, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants in sludge. Bacterial bioluminescent inhibition (15 min), rotifer mortality (24 hr) and rotifer population growth inhibition (48 hr) assay were conducted to estimate the sludge toxicity. EC50 15 min (inhibition concentration of bioluminescence after 15 minutes exposed) values by Microtox(R) bioassay clearly revealed different toxicity levels depending on the sludge sources. Highest toxicity for the bacteria was found with the sludge extract from dyeing waste and followed by industrial waste, livestock waste, and leather processing waste. Clear toxic effects on the bacteria were not found in the sludge extract from filtration bed sludge and rural sewage sludge. Consistent with Microtox(R) results, rotifer neonate mortality and population growth inhibition test also showed highest toxicity in dyeing waste and low in filtration bed and rural sewage sludge. High concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals were measured in the samples from the industrial wastes, leather processing plant waste sludge, and urban sewage sludge. However, there was no significant correlation between pollutant concentration levels and the toxicity values of the sludge. This suggests that the ecotoxicity in addition to the chemical analyses of various sludge samples must be estimated before release of potential harmful waste in the natural environment as part of an ecological risk assessment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.255-262
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• 2002

Objectives : To investigate the fetal cholesterol levels and related factors in a rural adult population. Methods : 3,207 adults(1,272 men and 1,935 women) were examined in 1997 Their heights, weights, and fasting serum total cholesterol levels were measured, and their body mass indices were calculated. A questionnaire interviewing method was used to collect risk factor data. Results : The mean value of total cholesterol were 190.5 mg/dl, and 198.8 mg/dl, and the age-adjusted prevalence rates for hypercholesterolemia (above 240 mg/dl) were 13.7% and 10.2%, in men and women, respectively. From simple analyses, age, educational level, coffee intake, amount of meat and food intake, waist circumference, waist-hip circumference ratio(WHR), and body mass index(BMI) were significant risk factors in men (p<0.05) relating to serum total cholesterol levels. In women, age, educational level, hypertension history, diabetes history, herbal drug history, amount of feed intake, alcohol consumption, waist circumference, WHR, BMI, and menopausal status were significant risk factors (p<0.05). In multiple linear regression analyses, waist circumference (p<0.01), BMI (p<0.01), and coffee intake (p<0.05) proved to be significant risk factors in men. Whereas, menopausal status (p<0.01), BMI (p<0.01), herbal drug history (p<0.01), amount of food intake (p<0.05), waist circumference (p<0.05), and alcohol consumption (p<0.05) were significant risk factors in women. Conclusions : The significant risk factors, for both men and women, relating to the serum total cholesterol were waist circumference and BMI. Thus, for the reduction of serum total cholesterol level, it is recommended that health education for the control of obesity should be implemented.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.105-115
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• 2020

With the decrease of the agricultural population in Korea, the workers who is vulnerable to labor are increasing in agricultural industry because of aging, feminization of population. They are exposed in poor working environment with higher temperature and concentrations of dust, gas. Higher concentration of harmful gas and dust can cause chronic and acute disease to workers depending on exposure intensity and frequency. In order to improve the working environment in the livestock facilities, It is important to secure monitoring data of the thermal environment and the concentration of harmful gases and fine dust. Multi-point measurement was performed to analyze the regional environmental conditions in the pig rooms. When analyzing the working environment, video monitoring was conducted to analyze the concentration changes of ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and fine dust according to worker movement and work type. Ammonia and hydrogen sulfide monitoring result showed 1.5~2 times higher concentrations than other work when working in the pigs living zone, and 2~4 times higher than other work when working to increase the activity of pigs. In the case of fine dust, the result was 1.3 times higher than the worker's exposure standard in a specific work. The concentrations of gases and dusts from pig farms are not of concern for acute poisoning in normal work, but there is a risk of chronic respiratory disease if they are continuously exposed. Accordingly, there is a need for development of work environment monitoring device tailored to workers and preparation of alternatives.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.145-158
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• 2017

Objectives: The importance of kimchi as a traditional food in Korean cuisine has gradually decreased due to rapid industrialization, economic growth and changes in dietary patterns in Korea. This study aimed to examine the shifts in kimchi consumption by region and by income level between 2005 and 2015 in Korea. Methods: Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys III (2005) and VI (2015) were used in the study (n=15,558). Intake of kimchi was estimated using a single 24-hour dietary recall. The sample weights were applied in all analyses to reflect population estimates. All statistical analyses were carried out by using SPSS IBM Statistics 20. Results: Kimchi intake has significantly decreased by 27.6 g/day per capita during the last decade in Korea; 25.0 g for males and 29.9 g for females, respectively. Over the past decade, the decline of kimchi intake has been particularly significant in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gwangju, while there has been no significant change in males living in rural areas. The consumption of kimchi across all income levels has decreased, however, the decrease was higher in 'middle and low income level'. The amount of kimchi consumption in 2015 was the highest in 'low income level'. The results were similar after adjusting for gender and age. Conclusions: For the past decade, the overall intake of kimchi in Korea has decreased, however, it has been found that the decrease of kimchi intake for males living in the rural areas was not significant. Therefore, in order to keep our traditional kimchi culture and promote a balanced diet including kimchi for Korean, it is necessary to develop more efficient policies and approaches. A variety of dishes using kimchi should be developed, besides merely serving kimchi with rice as a side dish, to increase the consumption of kimchi.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.157-165
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• 2017

Being a staple food for more than half of the population of the world and South Korea, rice is an important crop. For the past 20 years, global paddy rice cultivation area and production have shown an annual growth of 0.46% and 1.61%, respectively. Global rice consumption for food and processing has increased by 1.37% and 3.68%, respectively. Due to the main reason for such increasing human population, it is expected that from 439 million tons in 2010, additional 116 million tons will be needed in 2035. Global rice imports and exports have doubled in the last 20 years. However, in spite of such increment, global rice exports in 2013 were 8.4% of the total production. It is thought that rice protection policies in the producing countries are the main reason for such small scale of rice trading. In the past 5 years, India recorded the largest growth rate in rice exports (51.4%), whereas China showed the largest growth rate in imports (61.0%). For global utilization of milled rice during the same period, approximately 79.4% was used as food, 7.2% as animal feeds, and 1.4% for processing. Regionally, Asia has shown a similar pattern to the global rice usage, whereas utilization for processing in America, for food in Africa, and for animal feed in Europe was relatively higher than the global rice usage. Korea's cultivation area and production since the last 5 years, are 0.5% and 0.8% of those of the world, respectively. Its annual rice export is approximately 3,000 tons, which is 0.01% of the global rice export. Korea's rice utilization is high for food and low for feed and for processing relative to global rice utilization. Therefore, a review must be conducted to increase Korea's utilization of rice for processing and for feed production.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2007

Objectives : This prospective population-based cohort study was conducted to evaluate the risk factors of cognitive impairment and the degree of cognitive function change through a 5-year follow-up. Methods : The baseline and follow-up surveys were conducted in 1998 and 2003, respectively, Among 176 subjects who had normal cognitive function in the baseline study, 136 were followed up for 5 years. The cognitive function was investigated using the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-K). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS and Stata. Results : Of the 136 subjects analyzed, 25 (18.4%) were cognitively impaired. Old age and low social support in the baseline survey were risk factors for cognitive impairment after 5 years. In the generalized estimating equation for 128 subjects except severe cognitive impairment about the contributing factors of cognitive function change, the interval of 5 years decreased MMSE-K score by 1.02 and the cognitive function was adversely affected with increasing age, decreasing education and decreasing social support. Conclusions : Although the study population was small, it was considered that the study results can be used to develop a community-based prevention system for cognitive impairment.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.35-41
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• 2009

Objectives : The changing population age structure and rapidly increasing medical costs make providing high-quality, effective medical care for the elderly a challenge. This study assessed the satisfaction with medical care in terms of comprehensiveness, general satisfaction, and accessibility among community-dwelling Korean elders. Methods : Data were obtained from a nationwide representative sample of the older adults(aged 65 years old or older) living in the community, who participated in a 2006 telephone survey conducted using random digit dialing(n=881). General satisfaction, comprehensiveness and accessibility were measured using a 10-item satisfaction survey questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was used to assess the distribution of each of three components of subjective satisfaction. Analysis of covariance(ANCOVA) was used to examine the association of each of the three components with socioeconomic variables. Results : Comprehensiveness and general satisfaction were low among older people with a high socioeconomic status. Accessibility was evaluated as low among older people of low socioeconomic status, those living in rural areas and those who were medical aid beneficiaries. Conclusions : Urgent interventions should be considered in order to improve accessibility to medical care for elders of low socioeconomic status and those living in rural communities. Given the rapid aging of the population, we need to develop a monitoring system to improve the quality of geriatric care.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Rural Architecture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.9-16
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• 2023

This study is on the formation and the development process of urban space by referring to the literature in Yeosu where is the important location in logistics & transportation and maritime since the Japanese colonial period. There are many factors and results of the development process in Yeosu by the opening port, railroads, loads and industries. The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of the formation process of urban space and the characteristics of physical space in Yeosu. The results are as follow; The urban formation and development process in Yeosu where was a small fishing village in the 1910s is largely divided into four processes. Formation: the population increased due to constructions such as of a railroad, a port, and roads and there were many reclamations around the center of the old city center in the Japanese colonial period. Stagnation: There was no urban development due to stagnation, war, and the Yeo-sun Incident. Expand: the industrialization of the Yeocheon Industrial Complex and Gwangyang Steel and other areas around Yeosu led to a surge in Yeosu's population. To cope with this, the city was expanded through three land readjustment projects and the development of large-scale residential complexes. Decline and Remodeling: Yeosu's urban space declined due to the decline of fisheries and the decrease in marine and railway logistics. And the expansion and improvement of the transportation network for hosting the Yeosu World Expo increased the accessibility of the old city center, transforming it into a tourist city using cultural heritage and nature.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.1
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• pp.57-68
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• 2023

Flavor is an important sensory trait of chicken meat. The free amino acid (FAA) and nucleotide (NT) components of meat are major factors affecting meat flavor during the cooking process. As a genetic approach to improve meat flavor, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to identify the potential candidate genes related to the FAA and NT components of chicken breast meat. Measurements of FAA and NT components were recorded at the age of 10 weeks from 764 and 767 birds, respectively, using a White leghorn and Yeonsan ogye crossbred F2 chicken population. For genotyping, we used 60K Illumina single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chips. We found a total of nine significant SNPs for five FAA traits (arginine, glycine, lysine, threonine content, and the essential FAAs and one NT trait (inosine content), and six significant genomic regions were identified, including three regions shared among the essential FAAs, arginine, and inosine content traits. A list of potential candidate genes in significant genomic regions was detected, including the KCNRG, KCNIP4, HOXA3, THSD7B, and MMUT genes. The essential FAAs had significant gene regions the same as arginine. The genes related to arginine content were involved in nitric oxide metabolism, while the inosine content was possibly affected by insulin activity. Moreover, the threonine content could be related to methylmalonyl-CoA mutase. The genes and SNPs identified in this study might be useful markers in chicken selection and breeding for chicken meat flavor.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.363-373
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• 2023

Numerous studies have established a correlation between sociodemographic characteristics and water usage, identifying population as a primary independent variable in mid- to long-term demand forecasting. Recent dramatic sociodemographic changes, including urban concentration-rural depopulation, low birth rates-aging population, and the rise in single-person households, are expected to impact water demand and supply patterns. This underscores the necessity for operational and managerial changes in existing water supply systems. While sociodemographic characteristics are regularly surveyed, the conducted surveys use aggregate units that do not align with the actual system. Consequently, many water demand forecasts have been conducted at the administrative district level without adequately considering the water supply system. This study presents an upward water demand forecasting model that accurately reflects real water facilities and consumers. The model comprises three key steps. Firstly, Statistics Korea's SGIS (Statistical Geological Information System) data was reorganized at the DMA level. Secondly, DMAs were classified using the SOM (Self-Organizing Map) algorithm to consider differences in water facilities and consumer characteristics. Lastly, water demand forecasting employed the PCR (Principal Component Regression) method to address multicollinearity and overfitting issues. The performance evaluation of this model was conducted for DMAs classified as rural areas due to the insufficient number of DMAs. The estimation results indicate that the correlation coefficients exceeded 0.9, and the MAPE remained within approximately 10% for the test dataset. This method is expected to be useful for reorganization plans, such as the expansion and contraction of existing facilities.