• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 1993

To maintain a good sperm motility is one of the key factors for the successful artificial insemination in retrograde ejaculation, and the sperm motility has been shown to be affected by various environmental factors, including change in pH and osmolarity. Herein we have analyzed the effect of change in pH and osmolarity in urine and normal saline on sperm motility by Sperm Quality Analyzer and Makler counting chamber. Semen, which sampled by masturbation from a 28 year old male and showed normal finding on semen analysis, was used for this study. The results were as follows: 1. When osmolarity was fixed to 300mOsm, pH did not show a definite effect on the sperm moility. However, the motility was generally a bit better in alkaline urine and saline than in acid, particularly than in pH 5.0. 2. When pH was fixed to 7.5, sperm motility was best in urine and saline of 300mOsm. Hyperosmolarity had more adverse.effect on the motility than hypoosmolarity. 3. The sperm motility was worse in the urine than in saline under the same pH and osmolarity. In conclusion, osmolarity has a definite effect on sperm motility, where as pH has relatively little effect. And certain components of urine other than pH and osmolarity might affect the sperm motility.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.373-380
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• 2023

Background: The association between dental amalgam fillings and urine mercury concentrations was investigated in this study to assess the health risks associated with dental amalgams. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 99 women in their 20s who visited the dental clinic in Daegu, Korea. The 99 participants were composed of 68 subjects who had dental amalgam fillings (exposure group) and 31 subjects who did not have dental amalgam fillings (nonexposure group). Oral examinations were conducted by a single dental hygienist, sociodemographic features were investigated as confounding variables, and urine mercury concentrations were measured using an automatic mercury analyzer. Results: The mean±standard deviation of the urine mercury concentrations of the exposure and nonexposure groups were 1.50±1.78 ㎍/g creatinine and 0.53±0.63 ㎍/g creatinine, respectively. The exposure group showed significantly higher levels than the nonexposure group (p<0.01). The urine mercury concentration significantly increased with an increase in the number of teeth filled with amalgam, cavity surfaces involved, and number of defective amalgam fillings, and according to the latest exposure time (p<0.001). In the multiple regression analysis of amalgam-related factors and urine mercury concentrations after correction for confounding factors, the urine mercury concentration in the group with six or more amalgam-filled teeth, 11 or more cavity surfaces, and two or more defective amalgams was significantly higher than that in the nonexposure group (p<0.001). Conclusion: According to this study, exposure to dental amalgams was confirmed to significantly affect urine mercury concentrations.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.11
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• pp.14-18
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• 1997

In this paper, we suggested and made a classifier or qualitative and quantitative analysis in urine analysis system. Input variable number and fuzzy membership function was made from determination of standard sample, and the fuzzy rules were determined by the analysis of spectroscopic properties of pads in strip. Fuzzy classifier used in urine analysis system was evaluated or the standard samples in each items and degrees. Negative and positive response of urine test was classified in good property, but detail classification or quantitative analysis had 8% maximum error in each items. If fuzzy membership unction and generation of rule are supplemented, suggested fuzzy classifier can be applied to the clinical test.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.23-32
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• 2020

Methamphetamine (MA) is the most common and available drug of abuse in Korea and its primary metabolite is amphetamine (AP). Detection of AP derivatives, such as MA, AP, phentermine (PT), MDA, MDMA, and MDEA by the use of immunoassay screening is not reliable and accurate due to cross-reactivity and insufficient specificity/sensitivity. Therefore, the analytical process accepted by most urine drug-testing programs employs the two-step method with an initial screening test followed by a more specific confirmatory test if the specimen screens positive. In this study, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method was developed and validated for confirmation of MA and AP in human urine. Urine sample (500 µL) was added with N-isopropylbenzylamine as internal standard and ethyl chloroformate as a derivatization reagent, and then extracted with 200 µL of ethyl acetate. Extracted samples were analysed with GC-MS in the SIM/ Scan mode, which were screened by Cobas c311 analyzer (Roche/Hitachi) to evaluate the efficiency as well as the compatibility of the GC-MS method. Qualitative method validation requirements for selectivity, limit of detection (LOD), precision, accuracy, and specificity/sensitivity were examined. These parameters were estimated on the basis of the most intense and characteristic ions in mass spectra of target compounds. Precision and accuracy were less than 5.2 % (RSD) and ±14.0 % (bias), respectively. The LODs were 3 ng/mL for MA and 1.5 ng/mL for AP. At the screening immunoassay had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 95.1 % versus GC-MS for confirmatory testing. The applicability of the method was tested by the analysis of spiked urine and abusers' urine samples.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.339-344
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• 2003

Paraquat is an effective and widely used herbicide, but it is also very toxic to humans. It is well-known that urine paraquat concentration is one of the most important prognostic indicator for paraquat-poisoning. Quantitative analysis of paraquat, however, are not generally used in clinical laboratories. In this work, a new test strip to detect paraquat concentration using sodium dithionite in urine was developed. Using these second-derivative method, the test strip prepared in $0.5{\%}$ borate buffer (pH 8.0), 0.25 M $Na_2S_2O_4,\0.1~0.8{\%}$ PVP, and $1{\%}$ decanol showed not only better color reaction but also an excellent application possibility to be used in automatic analyzer.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.348-357
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted in order to examine the relationship between heavy metal concentrations in the soil and the level of heavy metals in the blood or urine of 216 local residents living near abandoned metal mines. Methods: Residents around abandoned metal mines were interviewed about their dietary habits, including seafood consumption, medical history, cigarette smoking, and drug history. Metal concentrations in the soil were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AA-7000, Shimadzu, Japan). Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) contents in the blood or urine were analyzed by GF-AAS (AA-6800, Shimadzu). Mercury (Hg) contents in the blood were determined by means of a mercury analyzer (SP-3DS, NIC). Arsenic (As) content in the soil and urine were measured by a HG-AAS (hydride vapor generation-atomic absorption spectrophotometer). Results: The heavy metal concentrations in the soil showed a log normal distribution and the geometric means of the four villages were 8.61 mg/kg for Pb, 0.19 mg/kg for Cd, 1.81 mg/kg for As and 0.035 mg/kg for Hg. The heavy metal levels of the 216 local residents showed a regular distribution for Pb, Cd, Hg in the blood and As in the urine. The arithmetic means were 3.37 ${\mu}g$/dl for Pb, 3.07 ${\mu}g$/l for Cd and 2.32 ${\mu}g$/l for Hg, 10.41 ${\mu}g$/l for As, respectively. Conclusions: As a result of multi-variate analysis for the affecting factors on the bodily heavy metal concentrations, gender and concentration in the soil (each, p<0.01) for blood lead levels; gender and smoking status (each, p<0.01) for blood cadmium levels; gender (p<0.01) for urine arsenic levels; gender, age and concentration in the soil (p<0.01) for blood mercury levels were shown to be the affecting factors.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.368-373
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• 1998

Plasma amino acid concentration and Urinary exretion of free amino acids were measured in health female vegetarians(n=20, 19.9 $\pm$0.43 years old ) and age-mateched imnivores(n=20, 21.9$\pm$0.38years old) in Korean. differences infasting plasma amino acid concentrations and plasma aminogram pattern were not spectacular between the vegetarian and omnivore controls. Compared to the omnivores, vegetarians showed significantly lower plasma levels of methionine , phenylalanine, $\alpha$-aminobutyrate, citrulline, phosposerine and tarurine, and significantly higher plasma concentrations of arginine, $\alpha$-aminobutyrate, cirtrulline, phosphosierine and taurine, and significantly higher plasma concentrations of arginine, $\alpha$-aminoadipate, asparagine, aspartate, glutamate and ornithine. Although these differences were statistically significant, they were all within the normal range (21~70% differences )for human adults. Most of the urinary amino acids (nmol/mg creatinine or $\mu$mol/24 hr urine) were excreted to significantly lesser degree in vegetarians than was the case in omnivore controls. For almost every individual free amino acid, plasma concentration did not significantly correlate with urinary excretion level. These results indicate that vegetarians excreted less amino acids in their urine than did dominivores, most probably in an effort to maintain amino acid homeostasis to an altered dietary protein intake level and/or amino acid composition of their diets.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.196-204
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• 2018

Objectives: To determine urinary mercury levels in e-waste workers in Southern Thailand and the airborne mercury levels in the e-waste shops where they worked, to describe the associations between urinary and airborne mercury levels, and to evaluate the prevalence of mercury exposure-related health effects among e-waste workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by interviewing 79 workers in 25 e-waste shops who lived in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. Information on general and occupational characteristics, personal protective equipment use, and personal hygiene was collected by questionnaire. Urine samples were collected to determine mercury levels using a cold-vapor atomic absorption spectrometer mercury analyzer. Results: The e-waste workers' urinary mercury levels were $11.60{\mu}5.23{\mu}g/g$ creatinine (range, 2.00 to $26.00{\mu}g/g$ creatinine) and the mean airborne mercury levels were $17.00{\mu}0.50{\mu}g/m^3$ (range, 3.00 to $29.00{\mu}g/m^3$). The urinary and airborne mercury levels were significantly correlated (r=0.552, p<0.001). The prevalence of self-reported symptoms was 46.8% for insomnia, 36.7% for muscle atrophy, 24.1% for weakness, and 20.3% for headaches. Conclusions: Personal hygiene was found to be an important protective factor, and should therefore be stressed in educational programs. Employers should implement engineering measures to reduce urinary mercury levels and the prevalence of associated health symptoms among e-waste workers.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1998 no.11
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• pp.141-142
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• 1998

The urine analysis system implemented to measuring the primary color reaction of urinalysis strip. Fuzzy classifier based on fuzzy theory implemented so as to classify of 9 items in the urinalysis strip and proposed the automatic turning algorithm of mambership function in the fuzzy classifier to progress the reproduction of classify. To evaluation of clinical capability, the fuzzy classifier and automatic turning algorithm apples to standard strip and standard reagent.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.104-109
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• 1999

A number of leukocytes increases when infected by a germ or virus. Detection of leukocyte levels can indicate of such medical informations as urogenital tract infection or other dysfunction. In this study, pentyl-3-thiophene-carboxlyate (PTC), pentyl-8-quinolinecarboxylate (PQC), and 2-Phenyl-4(N-tosyl-alanyloxyl)-thiazole (PTT) were synthesized, and the test strips were prepared with these substrates for quantifying leukocytes in urine. Among these substrates, the PTT test strip prepared in 0.5% borate buffer pH 8.0, 0.03% PTT, 0.1-0.8% PVP, and 1% decanol showed not only better color reaction but also an excellent application possibility to be used in automatic urine analyzer.