• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2024

This study aims to suggest the partition ratio (Q-factor) of healthy Koreans and the comparison results of breath alcohol concentration (BAC) measurements using two methods (photoacoustic and electrochemical methods) for developing breath alcohol ignition interlock devices (BAIIDs). Given the relationship between BACs and BrACs and the Q-factor, the alcohol metabolism of healthy Koreans (96 males and 91 females) is revealed for understanding the digestion of alcohol and surveying the fundamental data of alcohol-related problems, CO₂ concentrations vs. alcohol concentrations, and the performance of alcohol sensors in the marketplace. The average Q-factor of healthy Korean males and females are 1,913 (95% confidence interval from 1,889-1,937) and 1,991 (95% confidence interval from 1,945-2,036). Photoacoustic measurements could be applied to predict the BACs of drinkers, which is confirmed by the Bland-Altman plots presented in this study. The biases based on the partition ratios (Q=1,913 and Q=1,991) in the Bland-Altman plots were -0.0004% (95% CI from -0.0011 to +0.0003% for males) and -0.0017% (95% CI from -0.020 to +0.017% for females).

• Journal of Auto-vehicle Safety Association
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.9-15
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• 2015

The relationship between BAC(Blood Alcohol Concentrations) and BrACs(Breath Alcohol Concentrations) and also partition ratio of healthy Korean adult males (96 males) are researched in this paper and its dependency is described according to TBW (total body water), BMI (body mass index), BFM (body fat mass), and PBF (percentage of body fat). Among the above four variables, TBW affects significantly to the partition ratio compared to the other variables. The partition ratio of Korean healthy males showed 1,913 (95 % Confidence Interval (C.I.) from 1,889 to 1,937) for the whole time intervals. However, when Q was averaged after 60 minutes later, its values was 2,011 (95 % C.I. from 1,982 to 2,040). Bland-Altman plots showed the compatibility of measurement methods of multi-gas analyzer, and the biases according to the partition ratios (Q=2,100 and Q=1,913) gave -0.0052 % (95 % CI from -0.0059 to -0.0045%) and -0.0004 % (95 % CI from -0.0011 to +0.0003%), respectively.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2004.06b
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• pp.387-390
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• 2004

Thick film alcohol gas sensors were fabricated. Their electrical properties and gas sensing characteristics were investigated. The sensitivity of $1wt.\%$ Pd-doped ${\gamma}-Fe_2O_3$ thick film heat treated at $400^{\circ}C$, 2hrs was $74\%$ to 500ppm alcohol gas at the operating temperature of $250^{\circ}C$. The selectivity of the film to alcohol was good. It showed fast response time to low concentrations of alcohol in air, hence this sensor can be used as a breath sensor.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.176-188
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• 1999

Objective : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcohol on neurocognitive function, psychomotor performance and subjective response in healthy Korean adults with different ALDH2 genotypes. Method : A total of 24 males, half with active $ALDH2^*1/2^*1$ and the other with inactive $ALDH2^*1/2^*2$, was selected through genotyping using restriction fragment length polymorphism. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design, each subject consumed 0.5g/kg dose of alcohol, given as a mixture of 40% vodka and orange juice, and placebo(orange juice) on two separate occasions on an average of weekly intervals. The blood alcohol concentrations(BACs) were measured using a breath analyzer at baseline and at 30, 60 minutes after drinking. P300s were measured at baseline and at 30 minutes after alcohol and placebo intake. Vital signs and psychomotor performance[Critical Flicker Fusion Threshold(CFFT), Choice Reaction Time (CRT), Digit Symbol Substitution(DSS)] were measured at baseline and at 60 minutes after alcohol and placebo intake. Subjective responses were measured at the end of the study. The statistical analysis focused on whether there were any differences between groups with different ALDH2 genotypes. Results : The major results are as follows. 1) BACs in the inactive group were overall equivalent to those in the active group. Only in terms of time, BACs were significantly higher overall at 30 minutes than at 60 minutes after alcohol intake. 2) Pulse rates were significantly increased after alcohol intake compared with placebo, and the increase was greater in the inactive than in the active group. 3) P300 latencies in leads Fz(frontal), Cz(cental) and Pz(parietal) were significantly increased after alcohol intake compared to placebo, and the increase was greater in the inactive than in the active group. P300 amplitudes in leads Cz and Pz were significantly decreased overall after alcohol intake compared to placebo. 4) Compared with placebo, alcohol produced significant effect on the psychomotor performance : impairment in the inactive group, improvement in the active group. 5) Compared with placebo, alcohol significantly induced a negative or an intense effect on the subjective responses in the inactive group, but little negative and even a somewhat positive effect in the active group. Conclusions : These results suggest that ALDH isozyme variance might be an important factor to determine the effects of acute dose of alcohol on the various psychobehavioural functions and also to determine the alcohol use pattern and to predict the future development of alcohol overuse and/or abuse.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.222-239
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• 1996

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of alcohol on the psychomotor performance and subjective assessment in healthy Korean adults with acetaldehyde dehydrogenase I(ALDH-I) isozyme variance. A total of 20 male subjects, half with active ALDH-I and the other half with inactive ALDH-I, were selected through both a self-reporting questionnaire examining alcohol sensitivity and the Higuchi's ethanol patch test detecting ALDH-I deficiency. In a doule-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design, each subject consumed four doses of alcohol(0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0g/kg) and placebo on five separate occasions at weekly intervals, Treatment order was fully balanced using a $5{\times}5$ Latin square, Psychomotor performance tests[coritical flicker fusion threshold(CFF) and choice reaction time(CRT)] and self-estimate questionnaires were conducted at baseline and at time points of 20, 40, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180 minutes after consuming the test drug for 20 minutes, Blood alcohol concentrations(BACs) using breath analyzer were measured at baseline and at time points of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 75, 90, 105, 120, 150, 180 minutes after drinking, The BACs and the mean changes in the psychomotor performances and subjective assessments from pre-alcohol baseline, were compared between the two groups. The findings were summarized as follows : 1) BACs were tended to be higher in the inactive group than the active in all of the four alcohol doses. However significant group differences were only after the 0.5g/kg dose of alcohol. 2) The inactive group showed significant impairment in CFFT at most time points alter 0.75 and 1.0g/kg doses of alcohol. 3) In CRT, total reaction time(TRT) significantly prolonged in the inactive group than the active group at 20 minutes after 0.25 and 1.0g/kg doses of alcohol and at 40, 60, 90 minutes alter 0.75g/kg dose of alcohol. In the inactive group, recognition time component significantly increased at 20, 60, 90 minutes after 1.0g/kg dose of alcohol, while movement time component significantly increased at 40, 60 minutes after 0.75g/kg dose of alcohol. 4) Subjective evaluation of the effect of alcohol revealed that physical and mental conditions as well as a self-estimate of the effects of alcohol on performance were significantly worse in the inactive group than the active at some time points alter all of the lour alcohol doses, wihch were more pronounced after 0.75 and 1.0g/kg doses of alcohol. 5) Most of the group differences mentioned above, still remained statistically significant after BAC was entered as a covariate, These findings demonstrated that the alcohol sensitivity is higher in individuals with inactive ALDH-I than those with active ALDH-I both on the subjective assessments and the objective psychomotor performances. Furthermore, these results suggest thai the alcohol sensitivity may be determined by acetaldehyde concentration rather than BAC per se. In future studies, after more accurate genotyping for ALDH-I, the relationships between BAC, acetaldehyde concentration and alcohol sensitivities should be clearly defined.

• Journal of the Korean Physical Society
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• v.73 no.10
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• pp.1437-1443
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• 2018

In this work, $SnO_2$ modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) separately and combined sensitized by using the co-precipitation method and their sensing behavior toward ethanol vapor at room temperature were investigated. An interdigitated electrode (IDE) gold substrate is very expensive compared to a fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate; hence, we used the latter to reduce the fabrication cost. The structure and the morphology of the studied materials were characterized by using differential thermal analyses (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) pore size measurements. The studied composites were subjected to ethanol in its gas phase at concentrations from 10 to 200 ppm. The present composites showed high-performance sensitivity for many reasons: the incorporation of $SnO_2$ and CNTs which prevents the agglomeration of rGO sheets, the formation of a 3D mesopourus structure and an increase in the surface area. The decoration with rGO and CNTs led to more active sites, such as vacancies, which increased the adsorption of ethanol gas. In addition, the mesopore structure and the nano size of the $SnO_2$ particles allowed an efficient diffusion of gases to the active sites. Based on these results, the present composites should be considered as efficient and low-cost sensors for alcohol.