• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.434-442
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• 2019

Objectives: This study was performed in order to report the epidemiological features of a food poisoning outbreak caused by multiple pathogens in a high school in Chungcheongnam-do Province, Korea in April 2019 and to suggest measures to prevent a similar incidence. Methods: A total of 39 patients with diarrhea were examined. Environmental samples were obtained from 6 food handlers, 4 food utensils, 72 preserved foods served during the food poisoning outbreak, 9 door handles, 10 drinking water samples from water dispensers, and 6 ground water samples from water taps. These analyzed to detect viruses and bacteria. Results: Among the 39 patients, 21 cases (53.8%) of enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), 7 cases of Staphylococcus aureus (17.9%), and 17 cases of norovirus (43.6%) were positive, and in 16 of the cases a co-infection with at least one other pathogen were observed. EAEC was assumed to be transmitted from contaminated drinking water because it was also detected in the water sample from a water dispenser in the dormitory. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated only in the fecal samples of patients, meaning it was not possible to trace its origin. The genotype of norovirus detected in the drinking water and ground water was consistent with that isolated from patients, and it was determined that the norovirus infection originated from the school's water environment. Conclusions: These findings indicate that a lack of environmental hygiene management related to school meals caused the food poisoning incident. In particular, a lack of management of drinking water, water supply, and personal hygiene should be pointed out. This should be urgently addressed and continuous monitoring should be carried out in the future. In addition, students and staff should be educated and trained to improve their personal hygiene.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.472-478
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• 2021

Background: The Legionella case detection and notification rate have increased in public artificial water environments where people visit, including large buildings, public baths, and hospitals. Objectives: In this study, the distribution of Legionella and its epidemiologic characteristics were analyzed in the water systems of public facilities in Chungcheongnam-do Province in South Korea. Methods: Culture and PCR analysis were performed on 2,991 environmental water system samples collected from 2017 to 2019, and associations with year, facilities, seasons, and temperature of water system were statistically analyzed by using R-Studio for Windows. Descriptive data was compared using chi-square tests and independent t-tests. Results: The detection rate of Legionella increased from 3.1% in 2017 to 10.3% in 2019, appearing most frequently in the order of public baths, large-scale buildings, hospitals, and apartments. It was detected mainly in summer from June to August, over 1.0×10³ CFU/L on average in 133 cases (66.5%). Lots of germs were detected in bathtub water, cooling tower water, and warm water (p<0.001), and it was detected at higher rates in the cities where multipurpose facilities were concentrated than in rural areas (p=0.018). Conclusions: This study suggests that continuous monitoring and control are required for Legionella in the water system environment of high risk facilities. Moreover, these results will be helpful to prepare efficient management plans to prevent the Legionellosis that occurs in Chungcheongnam-do Province.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2021

According to the character states of nostrils in the Barbatula species comprising 1,366 specimens collected from the major river system in Korea, distribution pattern of the two Korean Barbatula species was reviewed. The taxonomic character related to nostrils in Barbatula was very stable and two character states (widely separated and closely set) were observed in the present materials. B. toni (Dybowski, 1869) with widely separated nostrils distributes in the streams flowing into the East Sea north of Sokcho, Gangwon-do Province; Eogokcheon Stream, a tributary of Namhangang River; and Anseongcheon Stream, Gyeonggi-do Province, whereas B. nuda (Bleeker, 1864) with closely set occurs in most rivers flowing into the Yellow Sea including Nakdonggang River as well as in the Yangyangnamdaecheon Stream, Gangwon-do Province south to Bangyulcheon Stream, Gyeongbukdo Province, flowing into the East Sea as previously reported with some exception. Especially, both Barbatula species were co-occurred in the Yeongokcheon Stream, Gangwon-do Province and Eogokcheon Stream. The present results will provide a useful guide to study the regional fish fauna or fish community analysis as well as to clarify the taxonomical status of the Korean Barbatula species.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.79-92
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• 2019

This study analyzes the effects of freight transportation income, capital, asset, non-operating expenses, and debt ratio on the debts of inner port freight transportation businesses through the GLS of panel regression analysis and the estimation of fixed effects model. The factors and hypotheses were established through a theoretical background review, and the financial statement and profit and loss data of inner port freight transportation businesses for 10 years from 2006 to 2015 were analyzed. The results showed that assets had positive effects on debts, and negative effects on capital, non-operating expenses, and debt ratio, but no effect on freight transportation income. This result empirically demonstrates the tendency of inner port freight transportation businesses to secure assets by increasing debts, creation of debt reduction leverage effect using non-operating expenses such as interest expenses through bank borrowing, and the adoption of management characteristics and financial operation method to lower the debt ratio by reducing capital more than debts. In future studies, it is necessary to analyze coastal port freight transportation business by industry (oil tankers, cargo ships, and barge ships), and regions such as East, West and South sea.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Therapy
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.85-95
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• 2018

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness and availability on items of 2018 assistive devices distribution program for the disabled in the occupational therapists. Methods : A total of 132 occupational therapists participated in the survey from May 1 to May 31. Results : 96.2% of the occupational therapists responded that assistive device is helpful in lives of the disabled people. Especially, they responded that assistive device is the most helpful in 'movement and mobility'. Awareness on an angle spoon/fork with built-up handle and universal cuff was the highest, while a visual signaling indicator was the lowest. Availability on an air cushion was the highest, while a visual signaling indicator and a voice guidance system were the lowest. 67.4% responded that 'sometimes' they use the assistive device and 77.3% responded they will utilize the assistive device. To improve awareness and availability, 43.2% needed financial support, 32.6% needed to add insurance bill and 22.7% needed related education. Conclusion : In the future, this result will be available as a basic data for the education about assistive device for the occupational therapists.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2019

An outbreak of new disease with leaf and stem blight symptom occurred at bracken-growing fields in Namhae-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea during the last 4 years. This new disease caused significant yield losses on bracken production in this area. We have collected diseased leaves and stems showing the blight symptom in May, July, and October 2018 to investigate causal pathogens. A total of 92 fungal isolates were obtained from the diseased samples and their pathogenicity was tested on healthy bracken leaves. From the total isolates, 22 isolates were able to produce the leaf blight symptom similar to the original one found in the fields. To identify two fungal pathogens which showed higher virulence levels compared to other pathogenic isolates, we constructed phylogenetic trees using the nucleotide sequences of genes for ribosomal RNA, RNA polymerase beta subunit, beta tubulin, and internal transcribed region. Most phylogenetic trees constructed indicate that both isolates, which are identical to each other, reside in a clade of the genus Didymella and possibly similar to D. rumicicola or D. acetosellae. Nevertheless, the exact identification of these pathogens at the species level needs further investigations. This is the first report of a blight disease on bracken by Didymella sp.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.259-271
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• 2019

A statistical downscaling method was adopted in order to establish the high-resolution wave prediction system in the East Sea coastal area. This system used forecast data from the Global Wave Watch (GWW) model, and the East Sea and Busan Coastal Wave Watch (CWW) model operated by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). We used the CWW forecast data until three days and the GWW forecast data from three to seven days to implement the statistical downscaling method (inverse distance weight interpolation and conditional merge). The two-dimensional and station wave heights as well as sea surface wind speed from the high-resolution coastal prediction system were verified with statistical analysis, using an initial analysis field and oceanic observation with buoys carried out by the KMA and the Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency (KHOA). Similar to the predictive performance of the GWW and the CWW data, the system has a high predictive performance at the initial stages that decreased gradually with forecast time. As a result, during the entire prediction period, the correlation coefficient and root mean square error of the predicted wave heights improved from 0.46 and 0.34 m to 0.6 and 0.28 m before and after applying the statistical downscaling method.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.184-190
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• 2021

Since the original description of new species, Eumicrotremus jindoensis, we confirmed the first occurrence of E. jindoensis based on a single specimen (22.3 mm SL) caught by inshore stow net at the coastal waters of Boryeong of Korea. However, our specimen slightly differed from type specimens in having more vertebrae (26 vs. 21~24), longer snout (17.4% vs. 8.1~9.1%), longer preanus length (67.5% vs. 58.0~58.3%) and shorter second dorsal fin base (15.3% vs. 20.2~20.8%). Comparing with mtDNA COI and Cytb sequences, we could not find any differences in mtDNA Cytb sequences between our specimen and type specimens, which suggest that those morphological differences may belong to local variation by habitat and environmental condition between off Jindo Island and off Boryeong in Korea. Eumicrotremus uenoi is known from the southern sea of Korea narrowly (Busan, Tongyeong, and Jeju Island), the other congeneric species (E. asperrimus, E. pacificus, and E. taranetzi) from only the eastern sea of Korea, but E. jindoensis from the central coast to southern coast of western Korea.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.19-31
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• 2021

We investigated the distribution characteristics of mussels (Mytilus coruscus) growing in the Geomundo sea area by water depth. The research was also conducted to identify the surrounding benthic organisms. Mussels showed high density and low obesity in low water depths. The lower the density, the higher the obesity level appeared in deeper water. The morphological characteristics also appeared to increase as the water depth deepened. In addition, the shell length and total weight were more strongly correlated at a depth of 12 m than at 2 m. The total weight by the growth of the shell length and shell height was affected by the water depth. The analysis showed that the density and biomass of the algae inhabiting the surroundings decreased somewhat as the water depth increased. In benthic animals, the number of mussels tended to decrease slightly at the point where oysters dominated, at a depth of 2 m. Conversely, the number of oysters tended to decrease in deeper water dominated by mussels. Thus, the spatial competition between oysters and mussels was affected by the water depth. Also, mussels did not appear in areas where large algae flourished, suggesting that the survival of mussels was affected by the presence or absence of large algae.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.73-85
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• 2022

The cynoglossid fishes are popular for food in the world including Korea, China and Japan, and among them, Paraplagusia japonica lives all over the sea of Korea. In order to establish appropriate management measure, it is essential to clarify population structure of P. japonica from the morphological and molecular perspectives. We collected a total of 132 individuals of P. japonica from six localities in Korea between 2008 and 2021. Canonical discriminant analysis results showed that the West Sea population (Incheon) slightly differed from the South (Tongyeong, Busan) and East Sea populations (Pohang, Donghae, Sokcho). Similar results were also shown in Kruskal-Wallis test of meristic characters. Furthermore, neighbor-joining and maximum-likelihood trees based on 849 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b sequences showed that P. japonica was divided into two lineages (designated as A and B) with a high significance (Φ_st=0.0781, P<0.001). Interestingly, however, the two lineages in the admixture area (South-East Sea) were not different in morphological characters. Our results suggest that P. japonica had undergone differentiated history during the Late Pleistocene, but secondary contact may occur at the admixture area.