• Journal of Radiation Industry
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.155-166
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• 2024

In this study, a liquid scintillation spectrometer was developed for online continuous monitoring of tritium nuclides in water. The device consists of two photoelectron multiplier tubes (PMT), a simultaneous counting circuit, and a signal processing unit including a multi-channel analyzer (MCA). As a method to verify the performance of the equipment developed in this study, samples were prepared using a standard source, and the spectrum of tritium was measured to evaluate the detector characteristics such as efficiency, background (BKG), and minimum detectable activity (MDA). To evaluate the effect of pretreatment on tritium radioactivity measurement results, the MDA of water (seawater and groundwater) samples before and after pretreatment was calculated and compared. The results of the evaluation confirmed the satisfaction of the reference values of the Nuclear Safety Commission's "Discharge Control Standard in Drainage Water" and the World Health Organization's (WHO) "Tritium Radioactivity Concentration for Drinking Water Standards". The liquid scintillation spectrometer developed in this study, with or without pretreatment, confirmed detection performance equivalent to 1/100th of the discharge control standard for drainage water (40,000 Bq L^-1) and the WHO's drinking water standard for tritium radioactivity (10,000 Bq L^-1).

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2000

Objectives: Through comparing sleep variables and autonomic activities among three shifts in shift workers, the authors intended to clarify which shift is most tolerable and to identify the characteristics of their psychological and physical problems. This study is also expected to help shift workers to adapt themselves to their work more effectively. Methods: Fifty one shift workers took part in this study. They were working in a rapidly rotating system in which they worked for 3 days in one shift with one day off between each shift. Based on a sleep diary, sleep latency (SL), sleep period time (SPT), and number of wake after sleep onset (NWASO) were estimated and compared among the three shifts. In assessing sleepiness, Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were used. To evaluate mood states among the three shifts, profile of mood states (POMS) was administered. Heart rate variability (HRV), and the level of adrenaline and noradrenaline were measured to assess autonomic activities. HRV included low frequency power (LF), high frequency power (HF), and LF/HF. Results: SPT was significantly lengthened during the evening shift and SL was shortened during the night shift. The workers showed a drop in alertness at wake-up during morning shift and a drop in alertness at work during night shift. During night shift the subjects complained of physical fatigue and cognitive decline. Comparison of HRV showed that parasympathetic activity was most prominent during the evening shift. Secretion of adrenaline and noradrenaline decreased during the evening shift, though statistically not significant. Conclusion: We found that the evening shift was most tolerable among the three shifts. It is recommended that morning light exposure be done during the morning shift and nocturnal light exposure during the night shift.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.316-323
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• 2018

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of Salvia Plebia R. Br. (SP) powder on the antioxidative defense system and oxidative stress in rats which were fed a high fat high cholesterol diet. Accordingly, the rats were divided into four experimental groups which were composed of a high fat high cholesterol diet group (HF), HF diet with 5% SP powder supplemented group (PA), a HF diet with 10% SP powder supplemented group (PB), and a normal group (N). Consequently, the hepatic catalase activity of the HF group was decreased compared to the normal group (N), but it is recorded that of the PA and PB groups were significantly increased. With this in mind, the PA and PB groups resulted in the case of significantly increased activities of hepatic GSH-px and SOD. The hepatic superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide contents of the PA and PB groups were significantly decreased, as compared to the HF group. The GOT and GPT activities of the PB group were also significantly decreased when thus compared to the HF group. Notably, the carbonyl values contents of the PA and PB groups were significantly reduced compared to the HF group. The hepatic TBARS values in the liver were significantly reduced as measured in the PA and PB groups. These results suggest that the SP powder may reduce the incidence of oxidative damage, by the activation of an antioxidative enzyme in rats fed with high fat high cholesterol diets.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.329-334
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• 2016

The inhibitory effect of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the antioxidants in green tea (Camellia sinensis), against Salmonella Enteritidis was evaluated in commercial braised quail eggs at two temperatures (4 and $25^{\circ}C$). Although S. Enteritidis was dose-dependently suppressed by EGCG in pure culture at $25^{\circ}C$, it was not inhibited in the sauce or eggs at this temperature. At low temperature ($4^{\circ}C$), S. Enteritidis was inhibited in both the sauce and eggs by $400{\mu}g/mL$ EGCG. Thus, EGCG at an appropriate concentration could be a useful food additive for inhibiting S. Enteritidis in braised quail eggs at low temperatures.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.112-123
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• 2012

Different from general roads, intersections are the points where roads having different geometric structure and traffic operation system are met, and thereby they have complicated road structure and environmental factors. Various changes in driving patterns such as collision between vehicles approaching from roads adjacent to intersections, sudden stop of vehicles upon stop sign, quick start upon green lights kept increasing traffic accidents. It is known that traffic accidents are mainly derived from human factors. This study, in order to find out factors affecting drivers' behaviors within intersections, measured physiological responses such as brain wave, sight, driving speed, and so on by using state-of-the-art measuring device. As to concentration brain wave at individual intersections, it was found out that brain wave of testes was higher at main Arterial and accident-prone intersections compared with that of subsidiary Arterial. In addition, it was detected that drivers' visual activity was widely distributed at accident-prone intersections, meaning that it enhanced cautious driving from nearby vehicles. As to major factors causing drivers' workloads, factors from nearby vehicles such as deceleration, acceleration, lane change of nearby vehicles appeared as direct factors causing drivers' workloads, clarifying that these factors were closely related to causes of traffic accidents at intersections. Results of this study are expected to be used as basic data for evaluation of safety at intersections in consideration of physiological response of drivers.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1401-1407
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• 2003

A survey of consumers' awareness and attitudes about genetically modified food and korean labelling regulation entered into force in July, 2001 was conducted from October, 2001 to January 2002. The questionnaires were distributed to 519 consumers who are members of panel survey system of Korea Consumer Protection Board and lived in 7 largest cities of Korea. The consumers were asked about knowledge, concerns of potential hazards, intention of purchasing, and present labelling regulation. More than 85.7% of the respondents had some knowledge on genetically modified (GM) foods. More than 44.9% of consumers relied on the information from the civil activity group but only 9.6% of consumers from the government. The greatest benefit of GM food was thought to be a solution for the food shortage in the future. While, regarding a potential hazard, more than 71.6% of respondents worried about the safety of GM foods. First of all, 52.2% of korean consumer concerned about food toxicity or side effect. 53.2% of consumers responded that they would not purchase GM labelled foods and about 28.0% of respondents suspended judgement on willingness to purchase until they would get more information. Regarding complement field of present GMO labelling regulation, over 45.2% of consumers responded that labelling was needed to be more easily found. Also more than 95.1% of consumers hope to expand a list of mandatory labelling articles.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.91-101
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• 2023

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides synthesized on ribosomes, produced by bacteria, that inhibit the growth of similar or closely related bacterial strains. Since the discovery of nisin, many bacteriocins with unique structures and various modes of antibacterial activity have been described, and genes encoding production, secretion, and immunity have been reported. Nisin is one of the bacteriocins applied in cheese, liquid eggs, sauces and canned foods. Many of the bacteriocins of the genus Bacillus belong to lantibiotics, which are modified peptides after translation. Other genus Bacillus also produce many non-lantibiotic bacteriocins. Bacteriocins of the genus Bacillus are sometimes becoming more important because of their broader antibacterial spectrum. Bacteriocins are considered attractive compounds in the food and pharmaceutical industries to prevent food spoilage and growth of pathogenic bacteria. Bacteriocins can be used as biological preservatives in a variety of ways in the food system. Biopreservation refers to extending shelf life and improving safety of foods using microorganisms and/or their metabolites. The demand for new antimicrobial compounds has generated great interest in new technologies that can improve food microbiological safety. Applications of bacteriocins are expanding from food to human health. Today, many researchers are shifting their interest in bacteriocins from food preservation to the treatment of bacteria that cause infections and antibiotic-resistant diseases. This exciting new era in bacteriocin research will undoubtedly lead to new inventions and new applications. In this review, we summarize the various properties and applications of bacteriocins produced by the genus Bacillus.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.323-333
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• 2009

Parabens are alkyl esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, which are widely used in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutic products as preservatives. Absorbed parabens are metabolized fastly and excreted. Actually human body is exposed to complex mixture of parabens. Safety assessment at various toxicological end points revealed parabens have a little acute, subacute and chronic toxicities. Some reports have argued that as parabens have estrogenic activity, they are associated with the incidence of breast cancer through dermal absorption by cosmetics. There is an inference that antiandrogenic activity of parabens may give rise to a lesion of male reproductive system, but also there is an contrary. At cellular level, parabens may inhibit mitochondrial function of sperms and androgen production in testis, but also there is an contrary. Parabens seem to have little or no toxicity in embryonic development. Parabens can cause hemolysis, membrane permeability change in mitochondria and apoptosis, suggesting cellular toxicity of parabens. Parabens evoked endocrine disruption in several fish species and have toxic effect on small invertebrates and microbes. Therefore, the toxicity of parabens should be considered as a potentially toxic chemical in the freshwater environment. In conclusion, though parabens may be considered as a low toxic chemical, more definite data are required concerning the endocrine disrupting effect of parabens on human body and aquatic animals according to route and term of exposure as well as the residual concentration of parabens.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.334-345
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• 2006

The objectives of this study were to analyze and compare 24 hrs personal exposure levels of MF at microenvironments such as home, school, educational institute, internet pc game room, transportation, and other places according to time activity patterns using various metrics for children attending the primary schools located near and away from the power lines, and to characterize the major microenvironments and impact factors attributed personal exposure level. The study was carried out for 44 children attending a primary school away from the lines(school A) and 125 children attending a school away from 154 kV power lines(school B), all who aged 12 years and were 6 grade, from July 2003 to December 2003. All participants filled in a questionnaire about characteristics, residence, use of electrical appliances and others. Children wore a small satchel in which EMDEX II and Lite (Enertech, Co. Ltd) and a diary of activity list for period of registration in 20 minutes blocks. All statistical calculations were made with the SAS System, Releas 6.12. The summary of results was presented below. First, about the characteristics of subjects, there no differences between two groups. The subject almost spent about 56 % of their time at home and about 20~25 % of their time at school. Fifty percent of children spent 2 hours at private educational institutes. Second, the personal exposure measurements of children in school B was statistically higher than those of children in school A by various metrics such as arithmetic mean, geometric mean, percentile(5, 25, 50, 75, 95), maximum, rate of change metric, constant field metric. The arithmetic and geometric mean magnetic fields during the time the children were at school B were 0.98 and $0.86{\mu}T$ and were about 23 times higher than those of children were at school A. In conclusion, the significant major determinants of personal exposure level is the distance from the power line to microenvironments.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.34 no.2_2
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• pp.351-375
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• 2018

This paper aims to i) introduce the characteristics of HF ocean radar and the major results and information produced by the radar networks in the Korean coasts to the readers, ii) make an up-to-date inventory of the existing radar systems, and iii) share the information related to the radar operating skill and the ocean current data application. The number of ocean radars has been showing a significant growth over the past 20 years, currently deploying more than 44 radars in the Korean coasts. Most of radars are in operation at the present time for the purposes related to the marine safety, tidal current forecast and understanding of ocean current dynamics, mainly depending on the mission of each organization operating radar network. We hope this overview paper may help expand the applicability of the ocean radar to fisheries, leisure activity on the sea, ocean resource management, oil spill response, coastal environment restoration, search and rescue, and vessel detection etc., beyond the level of understanding of tidal and ocean current dynamics. Additionally we hope this paper contributes further to the surveillance activity on our ocean territory by founding a national ocean radar network frame and to the domestic development of ocean radar system including signal processing technology.