• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.245-257
• /
• 2023

The representative crop in the Republic of Korea, rice, is cultivated over extensive areas every year, which resulting in reduced resistance to pests and diseases. One of the major rice diseases, rice blast disease, can lead to a significant decrease in yields when it occurs on a large scale, necessitating early detection and effective control of rice blast disease. Drone-based crop monitoring techniques are valuable for detecting abnormal growth, but frequent image capture for potential rice blast disease occurrences can consume significant labor and resources. The purpose of this study is to early detect rice blast disease using remote sensing data, such as drone and satellite images, along with weather data. Satellite images was helpful in identifying rice cultivation fields. Effective detection of paddy fields was achieved by utilizing vegetation and water indices. Subsequently, air temperature, relative humidity, and number of rainy days were used to calculate the risk of rice blast disease occurrence. An increase in the risk of disease occurrence implies a higher likelihood of disease development, and drone measurements perform at this time. Spectral reflectance changes in the red and near-infrared wavelength regions were observed at the locations where rice blast disease occurred. Clusters with low vegetation index values were observed at locations where rice blast disease occurred, and the time series data for drone images allowed for tracking the spread of the disease from these points. Finally, drone images captured before harvesting was used to generate spatial information on the incidence of rice blast disease in each field.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.57 no.4
• /
• pp.237-248
• /
• 2024

Watershed runoff that is an important component of the hydrological processes has been significantly altered by climate variability and human activities in many watersheds around the world. It is important to investigate the impacts of climate variability and human activities on watershed runoff change for water resource management. In this study, using watershed runoff data for 109 middle-sized watersheds in Korea, the impacts of climate variability and human activities on watershed runoff change were quantitatively evaluated. Using the Pittitt test, the analysis period was divided into two sub-periods, and the impacts of climate variability and human activities on the watershed runoff change were quantified using the Budyko hypothesis-based climate elasticity method. The overall results indicated that the relative contribution of climate variability and human activities to the watershed runoff change varied by middle-sized watersheds, and the dominant factors on the watershed runoff change were identified for each watershed among climate variability and human activities. The results of this study enable us to predict the watershed runoff change considering climate variability and watershed development plans, which provides useful information for establishing a water resource management plan to reduce the risk of hydrological disasters such as drought or flood.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.55 no.4
• /
• pp.291-297
• /
• 2023

Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa and gastric ulcers are a break in the mucosa of the stomach lining. Past research on gastritis and gastric ulcers has been mainly conducted from the perspective that environmental factors are the primary cause of these gastric diseases. However, recently the importance of genetic factors has been emphasized due to current developments in genetic research. The SLC25A26 gene is believed to be associated with the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Oxidative stress promotes an inflammatory response, which increases the production of free radicals and causes cellular damage, and these lead to the development of gastric diseases. In this study, the correlation between SLC25A26 and gastric diseases was analyzed. Polymorphisms in SLC25A26 were analyzed in 1,369 domestic gastric disease patients and 7,471 healthy controls. As a result, 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (in the genotype) and 13 SNPs (in the imputation) showed statistical significance (P<0.05), and high relative risk of gastric diseases. Among them, the rs13874 allele of SLC25A26 showed a highly significant association with gastric diseases. In the genotype-based mRNA expression analysis, the minor allele (C) group showed increased mRNA expression and this could increase oxidative stress. In conclusion, SLC25A26 polymorphisms are associated with gastric diseases. These results may provide a basis for new guidelines for gastric disease management in the Korean population.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.49 no.1
• /
• pp.23-34
• /
• 2016

South Korea's state health insurer, the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), is in the process of a compensation suit against tobacco industry. The tobacco companies have habitually endeavored to ensure favorable outcomes in litigation by misusing scientific evidence or recruiting scientists to support its interests. This study analyzed strategies that tobacco companies have used during the NHIS litigation, which has been receiving world-wide attention. To understand the litigation strategies of tobacco companies, the present study reviewed the existing literature and carried out content analysis of petitions, preparatory documents, and supporting evidence submitted to the court by the NHIS and the tobacco companies during the suit. Tobacco companies misrepresented the World Health Organization (WHO) report's argument and misused scientific evidence, and removed the word "deadly" from the title of the citation. Tobacco companies submitted the research results of scientists who had worked as a consultant for the tobacco industry as evidence. Such litigation strategies employed by the tobacco companies internationally were applied similarly in Korean lawsuits. Results of tobacco litigation have a huge influence on tobacco control policies. For desirable outcomes of the suits, healthcare professionals need to pay a great deal of attention to the enormous volume of written opinions and supporting evidence that tobacco companies submit. They also need to face the fact that the companies engage in recruitment of scientists. Healthcare professionals should refuse to partner with tobacco industry, as recommended by Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.120-127
• /
• 2015

Purpose: We aimed to investigate how serum vitamin D levels are related to survival of terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: From May 2012 through June 2013, a retrospective chart review was performed on 96 hospice patients. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with severe vitamin D deficiency and Coxcy and Coxional hazard analyses were used to evaluate effects on survival. Results: The mean vitamin D level in patients was $8.60{\pm}7.16ng/ml$. Vitamin D was severely deficient (<10 ng/ml) in 75 patients (78.2%), deficient (10~20 ng/ml) in 13 patients (13.5%), relatively insufficient (21~29 ng/ml) in five patients (8.3%) and sufficient ((t ng/ml) in three patients (3.1%). Hyperbilirubinemia (${\geq}1.2g/dl$) was the only factor associated with severe vitamin D deficiency according to the multiple logistic regression analysis (Odds ratio, OR=18.48, P<0.05). Although hyperbilirubinemia showed a strong association with survival (Hazard ratio, HR=2.25, P<0.01), no association was found between severe vitamin D deficiency and survival (HR=1.15, P>0.05) in Cox's proportional hazard analysis. Conclusion: Although serum vitamin D levels were severely low in terminally ill cancer patients, we found no association between severe vitamin D deficiency and patient survival.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
• /
• v.11 no.7
• /
• pp.547-553
• /
• 2017

In the current medical field, lead is widely used as a radiation shield. However, the lead weight is very heavy, so wearing protective clothing such as apron is difficult to wear for long periods of time and there is a problem with the danger of lethal toxicity in humans. Recently, many studies have been conducted to develop substitute materials of lead to resolve these problems. As a substitute materials for lead, barium(Ba) and iodine(I) have excellent shielding ability. But, It has characteristics emitting characteristic X-rays from the energy area near 30 keV. For patients or radiation workers, shielding materials is often made into contact with the human body. Therefore, the characteristic X-rays generated by the shielding material are directly exposured in the human body, which increases the risk of increasing radiation absorbed dose. In this study, we have developed the FLUKA transport code, one of the most suitable elements of radiation transport codes, to remove the characteristic X-rays generated by barium or iodine. We have verified the reliability of the shielding fraction of the structure of the structure shielding by comparing with the MCPDX simulations conducted as a prior study. Using the MCNPX and FLUKA, the double layer shielding structures with the various thickness combination consisting of barium sulphate ($BaSO_4$) and bismuth oxide($Bi_2O_3$) are designed. The accuracy of the type shown in IEC 61331-1 was geometrically identical to the simulation. In addition, the transmission spectrum and absorbed dose of the shielding material for the successive x-rays of 120 kVp spectra were compared with lead. In results, $0.3mm-BaSO_4/0.3mm-Bi_2O_3$ and $0.1mm-BaSO_4/0.5mm-Bi_2O_3$ structures have been absorbed in both 33 keV and 37 keV characteristic X-rays. In addition, for high-energy X-rays greater than 90 keV, the shielding efficiency was shown close to lead. Also, the transport code of the FLUKA's photon transport code was showed cut-off on low-energy X-rays(below 33keV) and is limited to computerized X-rays of the low-energy X-rays. But, In high-energy areas above 40 keV, the relative error with MCNPX was found to be highly reliable within 6 %.

• The Korean Journal of Air & Space Law and Policy
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.3-43
• /
• 2018

Auf die ganze Welt macht unbemannte $Flugger{\ddot{a}}te$(sog.Drohnen) in vielen Bereichen rasch Fortschritte und Anwendungen gezeigt. Nachdem ferngesteuerte Drohnen $urspr{\ddot{u}}nglich$ $prim{\ddot{a}}r$ $f{\ddot{u}}r$ $milit{\ddot{a}}rische$ Zwecke entwickelt wurden, $erh{\ddot{o}}cht$ sich derzeit ihre zivile Nutzung sowohl im Freizeit- als auch im Dienstleistungsbereich(Paketdrohnen, Drohnen-taxi) stetig. Mit der vermehrten Drohnennutzung steigen allerdings auch die damit verbundenen Risiken und Herausforderungen. In Zusammenhang damit stellt sich dann die Frage, ob $gegenw{\ddot{a}}rtige$ Vorschriften im Bereich von Luftrecht zurecht gekommen sind. Es sieht sich gerade der zwei Schwerpunkt $gegen{\ddot{u}}ber$. Erstens kann $Passagierebef{\ddot{o}}rderung$ mit unbemanntem Luftfahrzeug(mehr als 150kg) im $gegenw{\ddot{a}}ritigen$ Luftrecht keine Anwendung finden. Denn das kor. Luftsicherheitsgesetz und sein Durchsetzungsverordnung definieren die Terminologie von unbemannten Luftfahrzeugen und unbemannten $Flugger{\ddot{a}}te$ als "wenn eine Person nicht an Bord geht und ferngesteuert wird". Also soll Drohne nach dieser gesetzlichen Definition nur "ohne Person" geflogen werden. Das besagt ohne Piloten und ohne Passagiere. Zweitens ist unbemannte $Flugger{\ddot{a}}te$(weniger als 150kg) nicht auf Handelsgesetz anzuwenden, auf das ${\ddot{u}}ber$ Anspruchsgrundlage und Zurechnungsnorm des gewerblichen Luftverkehr geregelt ist. Der unbemannte Luftfahrzeuglieferdienst bringt nicht nur die Gefahr einer $Besch{\ddot{a}}digung$ des Frachtguts mit sich, sondern auch die Gefahr von $Bodensch{\ddot{a}}den$ durch Dritte. Gemäß ${\S}$ 896 des Handelsgesetzes ist aber die Anwendung von unbemannte $Flugger{\ddot{a}}te$(weniger als 150kg) $hierf{\ddot{u}}r$ begrenzt, weil unbemannt $Flugger{\ddot{a}}te$ $einschl{\ddot{a}}gig$ in Ultralight $Flugger{\ddot{a}}t$ ist, die im Handelsgesetz ausschließlich besteht. Technische Fortschritt und die dadurch $erm{\ddot{o}}glichten$ kommerziellen Anwendungen werden die Nachfrage nach unbemannter $Flugger{\ddot{a}}te$ wecken. Die Umsetzung der $bez{\ddot{u}}glichen$ Vorschriften sollte auch diese Entwicklung aktiv begleitet und $fr{\ddot{u}}hzeitig$ kommuniziert und erarbeitet werden, damit Hersteller und Nutzer $fr{\ddot{u}}hzeitig$ Planungssicherheit haben.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.50 no.5
• /
• pp.568-578
• /
• 2001

Background : Lung cancer is frequently cited as an example of a disease caused solely by exposure to environmental carcinogens. However, there is a growing realization that the genetic constitution is also important in determining individual's susceptibility to lung cancer. This genetic susceptibility may result from functional polymorphims of the genes involved in carcinogen metabolism. In this study, the association between GSTM1 and CYP1A1 polymorphisms and the lung cancer risk in Korean males was investigated. Materials and Method : The study population consisted of 153 male lung cancer patients and 143 healthy male controls. The GSTM1 and CYP1A1 genotypes were determined by multiplex PCR and PCR-RFLP analysis. Result : There were no significant differences in the frequency of the GSTM1 null genotype between the cases and the controls. When the cases were categorized by their histologic type, the frequency of the GSTM1 null genotype in the small cell carcinoma group was higher than those of the controls(67.2% vs 55.9%), but the difference was not statistically significant(OR=1.772 ; 95% CI=0.723-4.340). The distribution of the CYP1A1 MspI genotypes among the cases were similar to those among the controls. When the cases were grouped by their histologic type, the ml/m1, ml/m2, m2/m2 genotypes frequencies among the small cell carcinomas(23.0%, 38.5%, and 38.5%, respectively) were significantly different from those of the controls(36.4%, 46.2%, and 7.4%, respectively, p<0.05). When the m1/m1 genotype was used as a reference, the ml/m2 and m2/m2 genotypes were associated with an increased risk for small cell lung cancer(ml/m2 genotype : OR=1.337, 95% CI=0.453-3.947 ; m2/m2 genotype : OR=3.374, 95% CI=1.092-10.421). Conclusion : These results suggest that the GSTM1 and CYP1A1 genotypes may be a genetic determinant of the risk for lung cancer, particlulary small cell carcinoma. Further investigation is needed to confirm these results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.485-489
• /
• 2001

Background: The most important factor in preventing sternal complications is stable sternal approximation. We have tried to find the most effective sternal closure method by examining the incidence of sternal dehiscence with or without infection in patients with cardiac surgery through median sternotomy. Material and Method: This study was performed in 489 patients over 45 years of age with median sternotomy for open cardiac surgery. Simple closure with interrupted 6 wires was performed in 159 patients, figure-of-8 closure technique in 119, overlapping interrupted closure using 10 wires in 150, and combined closure technique of interrupted simple closure and figure-of-8 suture closure in 61. Two hundred thirty-four patients underwent valve and aortic operations and 213 patients coronary artery bypass surgery. Result: Sternal dehiscence with or without infection occurred in 12 (2.5 %) patients. The complication developed in 5 of 159 patients (3.1%) with six interrupted simple closure, in 4 of 119 patients (3.4%) with figure-of-8 closure, and in 3 of 150 patients (2.0%) with overlapping interrupted closure using 10 wires, but there was no complication in 61 patients with combined closure technique (relative risk for other closure techniques, p<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of the sternal complication between valve and aortic operation group and coronary artery bypass group (3.0% vs 2.3%, not significant), but diabetes mellitus was a significant independent risk factor (odds ratio and multivariate analysis, p<0.05). Conclusion: The sternal closure technique that combines simple interrupted suture closure and figure-of-8 suture closure may be a more useful technique to enhance sternal stabilization compared to other closure techniques, such as simple interrupted closure, 8-figure closure, and overlapping interrupted closure.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.1
• /
• pp.111-119
• /
• 2013

Eleven mycotoxins, including aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, zearalenone, T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol, and HT-2 toxin, were analyzed simultaneously in rice, barley, and maize produced in 2011 by liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Limits of detection (LOD) are 0.2 ${\mu}g/kg$ for aflatoxin $B_1$, and $G_1$, 0.3 ${\mu}g/kg$ for aflatoxins $B_2$, and $G_2$, 0.1 ${\mu}g/kg$ for ochratoxin, fumonisins, zearalenone, and T-2 toxin and 3.0 ${\mu}g/kg$ for deoxynivalenol and HT-2 toxin. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.6 ${\mu}g/kg$ for aflatoxins $B_1$, and $G_1$, 0.9 ${\mu}g/kg$ for aflatoxins $B_2$, and $G_2$, 0.3 ${\mu}g/kg$ for ochratoxin, fumonisins, zearalenone, and T-2 toxin and 10.0 ${\mu}g/kg$ for deoxynivalenol and HT-2 toxin. Recoveries for 11 mycotoxins ranged from 70.45 to 111.11%. Fumonisins, deoxynivalenol, and zaeralenone were detected from 0.9 to 334.0 ${\mu}g/kg$ in the polished rice, barley and raw corn cultivated in Korea. Other mycotoxins were not detected. Deoxynivalenol contamination was mainly found in barley (24 out of 43 samples) and the average value in positive samples was 113.30 ${\mu}g/kg$.