• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.1204-1212
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• 2002

Purpose : Early surfactant therapy with either gentle ventilation, high-frequency ventilation or aggressive weaning of mechanical ventilation are principles for the treatment of respiratory distress syndrome(RDS). We studied to determine the accessibility of noninvasive nasal continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) rather than mechanical ventilation by invasive intubation after early surfactant therapy. Methods : The study group consisted of 14 infants who were born and diagnosed with moderate respiratory distress syndrome and received early surfactant therapy with nasal CPAP of PEEP 5-6 cm $H_2O$ within two hours after birth in the Fatima neonatal intensive care unit for two years from January 1999 to August 2001. The control group consisted of 15 infants who were diagnosed with the disease and could be weaned from mechanical ventilator within five days after birth during the same period. Results : The characteristics, the severity of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings in the two groups at birth showed no significant difference. Neither did the interim analysis of laboratory data in two groups. Of 14 infants in the study group who received nasal CPAP after early surfactant therapy, only two infants showed weaning failure with this therapy. In the response cases, duration of CPAP was five days and mean airway pressure was $5.4{\pm}0.5cm$ $H_2O$. Two had the complication of CPAP with abdominal distension. Final complications and outcomes in the two groups showed no signifcant difference(P>0.05). Conclusion : The clinical courses in the two groups showed no significant difference. Therefore, we suggest that early surfactant therapy with noninvasive nasal CPAP is a simple and safe method rather than aggressive weaning after invasive mechanical ventilation in moderate respiratory distress syndrome.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.179-191
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• 2019

Heavy metals in stream water and sediments around industrial complex were studied in order to assess the contamination and to identify the potential source of metals. High variability has been observed for both dissolved and particulate phases in stream water with coefficient of variation (CV) ranging from 1.3 to 2.8. The highest metal concentrations in both phases were observed in Gunja for Ni and Cu, in Jungwang for Zn and Pb and in Shiheung for Cd, respectively. These results indicate that the different metal sources could be existing. The concentrations of the heavy metals in sediments decreased in the order of Cu>Zn>Pb>Cr>Ni>As>Cd>Hg, with mean of 2,549, 1,742, 808, 539, 163, 17.1, 5.8, $0.07mg\;kg^{-1}$, respectively. Mean of metal concentrations(except for As) in sediments showed the highest values at Shiheung stream comparing with other streams. In sediments, the percent exceedance of class II grade that metal may potentially harmful impact on benthic organism for Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb was about 57%, 62%, 84%, 60%, 68%, 81% for all stream sediments, respectively. Sediments were classified as heavily to extremely polluted for Cu and Cd, heavily polluted for Zn and Pb, based on the calculation of Igeo value. About 59% and 35% of sediments were in the categories of "poor" and "very poor" pollution status for heavy metals. Given the high metal concentrations, industrial wastes and effluents, having high concentrations of most metals originated from the manufacture and use of metal products in this region, might be discharged into the stream through sewer outlet. The streams receive significant amounts of industrial waste from the industrial facilities which is characterized by light industrial complexes of approximately 17,000 facilities. Thus, the transport of metal loads through streams is an important pathway for metal pollution in Shihwa Lake.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1302-1310
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• 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a web-based nutrition counseling could lead to beneficial outcomes in food intake and serum lipids of patients with hyperlipidemia. Forty hyperlipidemic patients, twenty of them were hypercholesterolemia and the other twenty were hypertriglyceridemia, participated in a web-based nutrition counseling program. At the first nutrition counseling, the patients were counselled through interview and then follow up nutrition counseling was accomplished four times during eight weeks through a web-based internet program. Various markers of disease risk including anthropometric indices, food intakes and serum lipid levels were measured before and after the web-based nutrition counseling. After nutrition counseling, body mass index significantly decreased in both groups and waist to hip ratio significantly decreased in male hypercholesterolemic patients (p<0.05). Total-cholesterol decreased from 262.2 mg/dL to 234.9 mg/dL, LDL-cholesterol decreased from 186.8 mg/dL to 160.5 mg/dL in hypercholesterolemic patients, triglyceride decreased from 288.6 mg/dL to 211.9 mg/dL and total-cholesterol decreased from 217.2 mg/dL to 198.7 mg/dL in hypertriglyceridemic patients after nutrition counseling. Anthropometric value and nutrient intakes were improved after nutrition counseling. Energy, fat and saturated fatty acid intakes decreased significantly in both groups (p<0.05). Therefore, this study shows that the web-based nutrition counseling is effective in improving food habit and influences positively in serum lipid levels of the patients. In addition, these results indicate that internet presents us with potential as a new medium for nutrition counseling in informationized society.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.344-357
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• 2020

Strain improvement and bioprocess development were undertaken to enhance hyaluronic acid(HA) production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus cells. Using a high-yielding mutant strain, statistical medium optimization was carried out in shake flask cultures, resulting in 52% increase in HA production (5.38 g/l) at the optimal medium composition relative to the parallel control cultures. For sufficient supply of dissolved oxygen (DO), which turned out to be crucial for enhanced production of HA, agitation system and speed were intensively investigated in 5 L bioreactor cultures. Increase in oxygen mass transfer coefficient (k_La) through increment of agitation speed (rpm) and 35% expansion of diameter of the newly-designed impellers showed significantly positive effects on HA production. By installing an expanded Rushton-turbine impeller for efficient break-down of sparged air, and an extended marine impeller above the Rushton-turbine impeller for efficient mixing of the air-born viscous fermentation broth, maximum amount of HA (9.79 g/l) was obtained at 450 rpm, 1.8 times higher level than that of the corresponding flask culture. Subsequently, the possibility of bioprocess scale-up to a 50 L bioreactor was investigated. Despite almost identical maximum HA production (9.11 vs 9.25 g/l), the average HA volumetric productivity (r_p) of the 50 L culture turned out only 74% compared to the corresponding 5 L culture during the exponential phase, possibly caused by shear damages imposed on the producing cells at the high stirring in the 50 L culture. The scale-up process could be successfully achieved if a scale-up criterion of constant oxygen mass transfer coefficient (k_La) is applied to the 50 L pilot-scale bioreactor system.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.5 s.174
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• pp.535-545
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• 2005

Environmental survey from some abandoned metal mine areas was undertaken on to assess the risk of adverse health effects on human exposure to arsenic influenced by past Au-Ag mining activities. Elevated levels of As were found in tailings from the studied mine areas. This high concentration may have a impact on soils and waters around the tailing piles. In order to perform the human risk assessment, chemical analysis data of soils, rice grains and waters fur As have been used. The HQ values fer As via the rice grain and groundwater consumption were significantly higher compared with other exposure pathways in all metal mine areas. However, there were minimal soil and water dermal contact risks. The resulting Hl values of As from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas were higher than 5.0, and their toxic risk due to drinking water and rice grain was strong in these mine areas. The cancer risk of being exposed to As by the rice grain route from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas was $5.2\times10^{-4},\;6.0\times10^{-4}\;and\;8.1\times10^{-4}$, respectively. The As cancer risk via the exposure pathway of drinking water from these mine areas exceeded the acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 fer regulatory purposes. Thus, the daily intakes of groundwater and rice grain by the local residents from the Dongil, Okdong and Hwacheon mine areas can pose a potential health threat if exposed by long-term arsenic exposure.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.63-72
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to identify the life form characteristics, naturalized degree and introduction period of naturalized plants on upland fields in South Korea. The survey sites were selected in 222 upland fields over 9 provinces where are relatively dry soil conditions and are disturbed continuously by farming practices. It seemed that these uplands maintain good condition for the invasion and settlement of alien plants. Field surveys were carried out twice from May to June and from August to September in 2013. The vascular plants of the upland fields were listed into 539 taxa which contain 103 families, 320 genera, 448 species, 2 subspecies, 74 varieties and 15 forms. Ninety nine taxa were naturalized plants composed of 23 families, 64 genera, 91 species and 8 varieties. The urbanization index and naturalized index is 30.65% and 18.37%, respectively. Among total 99 naturalized plants, Compositae (30 taxa) was the most dominant family, and followed by Gramineae (14 taxa). On the basis of dormancy form, 78 taxa were belong to Th (Therophyte). In radicoid form, $R_5$ plants (86 taxa) and $R_3$ plants (14 taxa) were dominantly distributed. In disseminule form, $D_4$ including 63 taxa and $D_2$ containing 26 taxa were dominant. On the basis of growth form, erect form (e) containing 26 taxa was dominant. In conclusion, life form spectrum was $Th-R_5-D_4-e$ type. According to life form analysis, naturalized degree and introduction period, alien plants with unique characteristics may have high ability to settle and spread nationwide after inflow into South Korea. It needs further to observe some plant species with or without ecological features such as widely disseminated seeds by wind or water, high seed productivity, long life-span seeds, high germination rate of seeds, or non-dormant germinable seed.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.174-182
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• 2003

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has been recognized as an important childhood liver disease, especially where the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing. The purpose of this study is to clarify the usefulness of elevated serum aminotransferase activities and their ratio for predicting the presence of fatty liver and its severity in obese children. Methods: Forty-four children (M/F 29/15, age 4 to 16 years) with obesity (weight excess>20%) were analyzed retrospectively with medical records based on degree of obesity, bioelectrical impedence, serum aminotransferase activities, lipid profiles and ultrasonography. Results: 1) Ultrasonography was carried out in 34 cases. Elevated serum ALT was found in 89.7% (26/29) of the patients diagnosed as fatty liver by ultrasonography and decreased AST/ALT ratio (<1) was found in 96.6% (28/29). There was a strong correlation between elevated serum ALT (>45 IU/L) or decreased AST/ALT ratio (<1) and the fatty liver in obese children (p<0.05). 2) There was no significant correlation between the serum ALT or AST/ALT ratio and the degree of fatty liver (p>0.05). 3) There was a significant correlation between total cholesterol, triglyceride and fatty liver (p<0.05). Conclusion: Serum ALT activity and AST/ALT ratio were useful to predict the presence of fatty liver diagnosed by ultrasonography in obese children, whereas they were not useful to predict the degree of fatty liver. Therefore, to prevent fatty liver progressing to advanced liver disease, it is necessary to manage and monitor the obese children continuously, especially those who have predicting factors of fatty liver.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.37 no.5_2
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• pp.1329-1340
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• 2021

The intertidal zone, which is a transitional zone between the ocean and the land, requires continuous monitoring as various changes occur rapidly due to artificial activity and natural disturbance. Monitoring of coastal topography changes using remote sensing method is evaluated to be effective in overcoming the limitations of intertidal zone accessibility and observing long-term topographic changes in intertidal zone. Most of the existing coastal topographic monitoring studies using remote sensing were conducted through high spatial resolution images such as Landsat and Sentinel. This study extracted the waterline using the NDWI from the GOCI-II (Geostationary Ocean Color Satellite-II) data, identified the changes in the intertidal area in Gyeonggi Bay according to various tidal heights, and examined the utility of DEM generation and topography altitude change observation over a short period of time. GOCI-II (249 scenes), Sentinel-2A/B (39 scenes), Landsat 8 OLI (7 scenes) images were obtained around Gyeonggi Bay from October 8, 2020 to August 16, 2021. If generating intertidal area DEM, Sentinel and Landsat images required at least 3 months to 1 year of data collection, but the GOCI-II satellite was able to generate intertidal area DEM in Gyeonggi Bay using only one day of data according to tidal heights, and the topography altitude was also observed through exposure frequency. When observing coastal topography changes using the GOCI-II satellite, it would be a good idea to detect topography changes early through a short cycle and to accurately interpolate and utilize insufficient spatial resolutions using multi-remote sensing data of high resolution. Based on the above results, it is expected that it will be possible to quickly provide information necessary for the latest topographic map and coastal management of the Korean Peninsula by expanding the research area and developing technologies that can be automatically analyzed and detected.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.332-341
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• 2019

Purpose: Poor nutrition in hospitalized patients is closely linked to an increased risk of infection, which can result in complications affecting mortality, as well as increased length of hospital stay and hospital costs. Therefore, adequate nutritional support is essential to manage the nutritional risk status of patients. Nutritional support needs to be preceded by nutrition screening, in which accuracy is crucial, particularly for the initial screening. To perform initial nutrition screening of hospitalized patients, we used the Catholic Kwandong University (CKU) Nutritional Risk Screening (CKUNRS) tool, originally developed at CKU Hospital. To validate CKUNRS against the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) tool, which is considered the gold standard for nutritional risk screening, results from both tools were compared. Methods: Nutritional status was evaluated in 686 adult patients admitted to CKU Hospital from May 1 to July 31, 2018 using both CKUNRS and PG-SGA. Collected data were analyzed, and the results compared, to validate CKUNRS as a nutrition screening tool. Results: The comparison of CKUNRS and PG-SGA revealed that the prevalence of nutritional risk on admission was 15.6% (n = 107) with CKUNRS and 44.6% (n = 306) with PG-SGA. The sensitivity and specificity of CKUNRS to evaluate nutritional risk status were 98.7% (96.8 ~ 99.5) and 33.3% (28.1 ~ 39.0), respectively. Thus, the sensitivity was higher, but the specificity lower compared with PG-SGA. Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.34, indicating valid agreement between the two tools. Conclusion: This study found concordance between CKUNRS and PG-SGA. However, the prevalence of nutritional risk in hospitalized patients was higher when determined by CKUNRS, compared with that by PG-SGA. Accordingly, CKUNRS needs further modification and improvement in terms of screening criteria to promote more effective nutritional support for patients who have been admitted for inpatient care.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.74-93
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• 2019

The Bird Track Site in the Haman Formation in Yongsanri (Natural Monument No. 222) was reported on the named Koreanaornis hamanensis and Jindongornipes kimi sauropod footprint Brontopodus and ichnospecies Ochlichnus formed by Nematoda. This site has outstanding academic value because it is where the second-highest number of bird tracks have been reported in the world. However, only 25% of the site remains after being designated a natural monument in 1969. This is due to artificial damage caused by worldwide fame and quarrying for flat stone used in Korean floor heating systems. The Haman Formation, including this fossil site, has lithofacies showing reddish-grey siltstone and black shale, alternately. The boundary of the two rocks is progressive, and sedimentary structures like ripple marks and sun cracks can clearly be found. This site was divided into seven formations according to sedimentary sequences and structures. The results of a nondestructive deterioration evaluation showed that chemical and biological damage rates were very low for all formations. Also, physical damage displayed low rates with 0.49% on exfoliation, 0.04% on blistering, 0.28% on break-out; however, the joint crack index was high, 6.20. Additionally, efflorescence was observed on outcrops at the backside and the northwestern side. Physical properties measured by an indirect ultrasonic analysis were found to be moderately weathered (MW). Above all, the southeastern side was much fresher, though some areas around the column of protection facility appeared more weathered. Furthermore, five kinds of discontinuity surface can be found at this site, with the bedding plane showing the higher share. There is the possibility of toppling failure occurring at this site but stable on plane and wedge failure by means of stereographic projection. We concluded that the overall level of deterioration and stability were relatively fine. However, continuous monitoring and conservation treatment and management should be performed as situations such as the physicochemical weathering of the fossil layer, and the efflorescence of the mortar adjoining the protection facility's column appear to be challenging to control.