• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.49 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2006

Purpose : The reliability of hair mineral analyses regarding nutritional status, environmental exposure or diseases is controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the normal reference range of hair mineral concentration of Korean children. Methods : We examined hair mineral concentrations of 223 children(3-12 yrs old, 110 boys, 113 girls, mean age $8.8{\pm}2.2$ yrs old) living in the northern area of Seoul. The trace elements including six toxic elements(Al, As, Cd, Ba, Hg, Pb) and 11 nutritional elements(Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se) were analyzed by inductive coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS). Results : The mean concentrations of Ca and Mg were higher in girls than in boys. The mean concentrations of Cd, Pb and Cr were higher in boys than girls. The Zn, Ca, Mg, Cu and Hg levels in hair samples were positively correlated with increasing age. The Zn levels of the Korean children's hair samples appear to be lower than that of other countries' reference values. Conclusion : There are considerable differences in hair mineral concentrations by age, sex and race. Additional research is needed to establish Korean reference values, and to evaluate the usefulness of hair mineral analyses as a screening tool for nutrition- and environment-related childhood diseases.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.3799-3804
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• 2014

In sea water, microalgae are exposed to a range of critical environmental conditions. Microalgae are protected from UV-A radiation due to the presence of mycosporine like amino acids(MAAs). Owing to the UV-A absorption properties of MAAs, they are used widely as a UV protecting ingredient in cosmetics. Therefore, there is a need to increase the production yield of MAAs. This study investigated the production yield of MAAs in transformed microalgae by radiofrequency(RF) exposure. Initially, the Glut-1 gene was transformed to Chlamydomonas hedleyi microalgae as a glucose transporter. The biomass was enhanced after Glut-1 gene transformation. In addition, the MAAs production yield was increased during large scale production in bioreactors due to the RF treatment. Therefore, purified extracts of MAAs can be used as a sun block material in the cosmetic industrial field.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.4086-4092
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• 2013

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) are UV-absorbing substances, and diverse marine organisms have the evolved the capacity to diminished the direct and indirect damaging effects of environmental ultraviolet radiation by synthesis and accumulation of MAAs. In this study, we manufactured a radiofrequency (RF) generation device and applied to microalgal culture. $0.35{\pm}0.05$ mHz of RF was supplied to culture vessel for Chlamydomonas sp. and samples were harvested at the designated time intervals (1, 0.5, 1 and 2 hr). MAAs biosynthetic genes, dehydroquinate synthase homolog (DHQS-like) and nonribosomal peptide synthetase homolog (NRPS-like), were cloned from Chlamydomonas sp. and their gene expressions under the RF exposure were analyzed using qRT-PCR. DHQS-like and NRPS-like gene expressions of Chlamydomonas sp. exposed to RF were increased 1.46 and 1.19 fold at 1 hr, respectively. These results means that DHQS-like and NRPS-like genes can be good biomarker candidates for diagnosis of MAAs biosynthesis in the Chlamydomonas sp.

• Journal of Fisheries and Marine Sciences Education
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.1360-1365
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• 2013

Juvenile sea cucumber, Apostichopus japonicus(wet weight $1.0{\pm}0.2g$, n=250) acclimated to environmental conditions($17^{\circ}C$, 33 psu) during 4 weeks for observation of survival and structural variation of integumentary system according to various salinity concentration. After that, it was exposed 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 psu in 96h, and recovered during 7 days. In this results, The 96-h lethal concentration(LC50) for sea cucumber was a salinity of 21.05 psu. Integumentary system of the sea cucumber exposed to below the salinity of 20 psu mainly observed thickness reduction of epidermal layer, nucleus condensation of epithelial cells, decreased of mucous cells and loose arrangement of connective tissue in dermal layer. Integumentary system of the sea cucumber exposed a salinity of 40 psu mainly observed nucleus hypertrophy of epithelial cells, increase of mucous cells and tight arrangement of connective tissue in dermal layer. Also, observed secretory cells showing the alcian blue(pH 2.5) positive. During 96-h exposure, this cells decreased after increase below the salinity of 20 psu but increased in the salinity of 40 psu compared with 25-35 psu.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.49 no.11
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• pp.931-939
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• 2016

Bangudae Petroglopys of the national treasure No. 285 located in elevation of 53 m to 57 m have been damaged by repetition of submergence and exposure due to the Sayeon-dam of EL.60 m constructed in down stream. In this study, as a preservation plan of the petroglyphs from the contact with water, the construction of eco-levee was suggested and its effect was investigated in the views of hydraulic engineering. It was designed to be located aside of 80 m from Bangudae Petroglyphs with the length of 440 m in streamwise direction, and it was need to construct a new channel maintaining the original hydraulic capacity and conveyance. Hydraulic characteristics such as water surface elevations and velocities near Bangudae Petroglyphs were measured after the eco-levee was installed in the hydraulic model with the scale of 1:50. It showed that there were not much changes of water surface elevations and velocities between sayeon-dam spillway EL. 60 m (Suggestion 1) and EL. 54 m (Suggestion 2). It was concluded the eco-levee could be made of natural materials like soil, pebble, gravel in terms of allowable velocity and shear stresses. The slope of water surface at Suggestion 2 was steeper, and velocities near Bangudae Petroglyphs were also faster than Suggestion 1. As the vorties occured at the left side in Suggestion 2, more detailed study is required.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.274-279
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• 2007

The toxicitiy of organic sludge such as municipal sewage sludge (MSS), industrial sewage sludge (ISS), alcohol fermentation processing sludge (AFPS) and leather processing sludge (LPS) were evaluated with three environmental biomarkers as acetylcholinesterase, cytochrome P450, and heat shock protein 70 extracted from earthworm (Eisenia fetida). Their toxicities were compared with those of pig manure compost (PMC). MSS, ISS, LPS, and AFPS did not significantly affect the acetylcolinesterase activity, whereas only the elutriate of PMC slightly was increased the activity. MSS, AFPS, and PMC tended to slightly inhibit the cytochrome $P_{450}$ activity, but ISS and LPS showed significantly the inhibitory effect on cytochrome $P_{450}$. The hsp70 expression began to increase after treatments and showed high induction at 6 hour, followed by zero level at around 12 hour. The quantity of the hsp70 expressed by elutriate treatments of PMC, AFPS, MSS, ISS, and LPS was 1.9, 3.0, 3.3, 4.4, and 4.7 fold higher than that of distilled water. These results indicate that in toxicity tests of five organic waste materials, four kinds of sludge materials appeared more toxic than PMC. Results of AChE, P450, and hsp70 of earthworm might be useful for expecting or assessing an effect by exposure of organic wastes to earthworms in soil.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.657-667
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• 2003

Deep-drilled core sampling and high-resolution seismic survey were carried out to identify a Holocene-late Pleistocene boundary in Gyeonggi Bay, western coast of Korea. Analysis of core sections revealed the existence of an oxidized and semi-consolidated sediment layer, Iying immediately below a Holocene horizon (Unit I) and being developed at the top of a late Pleistocene deposit (Unit II). The oxidized sedimentary layer (uppermost part of Unit II) is characterized by semi-consolidated, yellowish sediments showing signs of desiccation and alteration such as high N value, low water content, periglacial cryogenic structure, depletion of smectite, and high geochemical weathering index (Ba/Sr ratio). This feature, together with radiocarbon ages, suggests that the layer has formed as a result of prolonged subaerial exposure of Unit II sediments during the late Wisconsin sea-level lowstand, producing a regional unconformity. Such unconformitic-bounding surface corresponds to a prominent near-surface reflector (R), which is observed in seismic profiles obtained across the drilled-core sections in the study area. Consequently, the buried oxidized-sedimentary layer associated with the seismic reflector possibly plays a key horizon for the understanding of late Quaternary environmental changes as well as evidence of the emergence of the Yellow Sea shelf during the late Wisconsin sea-level lowstand.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.80 no.3
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• pp.247-254
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• 2017

Background: Airway epithelial cells are the first line of defense, against pathogens and environmental pollutants, in the lungs. Cellular stress by cadmium (Cd), resulting in airway inflammation, is assumed to be directly involved in tissue injury, linked to the development of lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We had earlier shown that ACN9 (chromosome 7q21), is a potential candidate gene for COPD, and identified significant interaction with smoking, based on genetic studies. However, the role of ACN9 in the inflammatory response, in the airway cells, has not yet been reported. Methods: We first checked the anatomical distribution of ACN9 in lung tissues, using mRNA in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. Gene expression profiling in bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B), was performed, after silencing ACN9. We further tested the roles of ACN9, in the intracellular mechanism, leading to Cd-induced production, of proinflammatory cytokines in BEAS-2B. Results: ACN9 was localized in lymphoid, and epithelial cells, of human lung tissues. ACN9 silencing, led to differential expression of 216 genes. Pathways of sensory perception to chemical stimuli, and cell surface receptor-linked signal transduction, were significantly enriched. ACN9 silencing, further increased the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, in BEAS-2B after Cd exposure. Conclusion: Our findings suggest, that ACN9 may have a role, in the inflammatory response in the airway.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.254-263
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• 2006

Manganese has a role as both toxic and essential in humans. Manganese is also an essential component in the welding because it increases the hardness and strength, prevents steel from cracking of welding part and acts as a deoxidizing agent to form a stable weld. In this study, manganese generation rate and its content was determined in flux cored arc welding on stainless steel. Domestic two products and foreign four products of flux cored wires were tested in the well designed fume generation chamber as a function of input power. Welding fume was measured by gravimetric method and metal manganese was determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrophotometer. The outer shell of the flux cored wire tube and inner flux were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy to determine their metal compositions. Manganese generation rate($FGR_{mn}$) was increased as the input power increased. It was 16.3 mg/min at the low input power, 38.1 mg/min at the optimal input power, and up to 55.4 mg/min at the high input power. This means that $FGR_{mn}$ is increased at the work place if welder raise the current and/or voltage for the high productivity. The slope coefficient of $FGR_{mn}$ was smaller than that of the generation rate of total fume(FGR). Also, the correlation coefficient of $FGR_{mn}$ was 0.65 whereas that of FGR is 0.91. $FGR_{mn}$ was equal or higher in the domestic products than that of the foreign products although FGR was similar. From the electron microscopic analytical data, we concluded that outer shell of the wire was composed mainly of iron, chromium, nickel and less than 1.2 % of manganese. There are many metal ingredients such as iron, silica, manganese, zirconium, titanium, nickel, potassium, and aluminum in the inner flux but they were not homogeneous. It was found that both $FGR_{mn}$ and content of manganese was higher and more varied in domestic flux cored wires than those of foreign products. To reduce worker exposure to fumes and hazardous component at the source, further research is needed to develop new welding filler materials that improve the quality of flux cored wire in respect to these points. Welder should keep in mind that the FGR, $FGR_{mn}$ and probably the generation rate of other hazardous metals were increased as the input power increase for the high productivity.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.124-139
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• 2000

This study was performed to investigate monoacetylbenzidine(MABZ) and benzidine(BZ) hemoglobin adducts among workers who worked at benzidine based dye manufacturing company, and exposed by benzidine and benzidine based dye. The hemoglobin adducts were compared with work environment assessment result for evaluating the usefulness of biological monitoring. The mean BZ hemoglobin adducts among the first synthesis worker's hemoglobin adducts were $40.69{\mu}gBZ/g$ Hb and those of dry and packing workers were $22.14{\mu}gBZ/g$ Hb. The mean of MABZ hemoglobin adducts among 1st synthesis workers were $255.84{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb, dispersion worker's hemoglobin adducts were $76.17{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb and synthesis worker's hemoglogin adducts were $28.66{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb. Work environment assessment results during past 3 years were $0.0065mg/m^3$ and $0.5659mg/m^3$ of benzidine based dye concentration in ambient air of drying and packing only. Dye producing process was categorized by the possibility of exposure to benzidine and benzidine based dye. BZ and MABZ hemoglobin adducts were $19.55{\mu}gBZ/g$ Hb, $119.80{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb among workers who exposed by benzidine dihydrochloride and $16.32{\mu}gBZ/g$ Hb, $316.56{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb among workers who exposed by benzidine based dye. BZ hemoglobin adducts were not detected among control group and MABZ hemoglobin adducts were $5.33{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb. The differences between control and other exposed group was statistically significant. But there was no statistically significant differences between benzidine dihydrochloride exposed process and benzidine based dye exposed group. BZ and MABZ hemoglobin adducts were $2.23{\mu}gBZ/g$ Hb, $76.17{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb and $3.46{\mu}gBZ/g$ Hb, $21.33{\mu}gMABZ/g$ Hb. So hemoglobin adducts of MABZ were 5 ~ 30 time higher than those of BZ(P<0.003). Above results indicate that work environment assessment didn't detected benzidine and benzidine based dye in ambient air but biological monitoring detected those of hemoglobin adducts. Two group's hemoglobin adducts exposed benzidine dihydrochloride and benzidine based dye were high level but wasn't statistically significant and those were not detected in control group.