• Journal of The Korean Society of Clinical Toxicology
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.102-107
• /
• 2019

Purpose: Acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the most common types of poisoning and a major health problem worldwide. Treatment options are limited to normobaric oxygen therapy, administered using a non-rebreather face mask or hyperbaric oxygen. Compared to conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow nasal cannula oxygen (HFNC) creates a positive pressure effect through high-flow rates. The purpose of this human pilot study is to determine the effects of HFNC on the rate of CO clearance from the blood, in patients with mild to moderate CO poisoning. Methods: CO-poisoned patients were administered 100% oxygen from HFNC (flow of 60 L/min). The fraction of COHb (fCOHb) was measured at 30-min intervals until it decreased to under 10%, and the half-life time of fCOHb (fCOHb t_1/2) was subsequently determined. Results: At the time of ED arrival, a total of 10 patients had fCOHb levels ≥10%, with 4 patients ranging between 10% and 50%. The mean rate of fCOHb elimination patterns exhibits logarithmic growth curves that initially increase quickly with time (HFNC equation, Y=0.3388*X+11.67). The mean fCOHbt_1/2 in the HFNC group was determined to be 48.5±12.4 minutes. Conclusion: In patients with mild to moderate CO poisoning, oxygen delivered via high flow nasal cannula is a safe and comfortable method to treat acute CO toxicity, and is effective in reducing the COHb half-life. Our results indicate HFNC to be a promising alternative method of delivering oxygen for CO toxicity. Validating the effectiveness of this method will require larger studies with clinical outcomes.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.41-48
• /
• 2011

In this study, the soil remediation by landfarming was carried out using microbial activators. Feasibility studies and reduction capacity of TPH(Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons) were investigated in order to find out how fast and eco-friendly the contaminated soil can be recovered. The lab-test confirmed not only the performance and degradation efficiency of microbial activators but also the effect of TPH reduction in the contaminated soil. The optimum growth conditions for indigenous microorganisms were identified using microbial activators. Based on the results of TPH removal, although there had been a little of difference in between natural decomposition and microbial activators until 20 days, the sample groups of microbial activators were higher than the control ones after 20 days. Microbial activators were applied to the field experiments on landfarming. Based on the results of removal rate in each floor of soil, it was found that the removal rates were 85.8 % in the upper, 84.4 % in the middle, and 66.10 % in the bottom. Considering that the reduction rate of TPH for the control group averaged 71.1%, the microbial activators might not be fully transferred into the bottom, which resulted from the piles of soil. As the piles have already reached 1 m in the field experiments, the low piles of soil under 0.6 m may enhance the treatment efficiency of TPH.

• Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.229-234
• /
• 2021

Iris dichotoma Pall. found on Daechung Island in Korea has been designated as an endangered species. To aid in conservation efforts of this species, this study investigated its germination characteristics and seed dormancy type. Four sets of seeds were incubated at different temperatures (4/1℃, 15/6℃, 20/10℃, and 25/15℃). One set of seeds was cold stratified (4 weeks at 4/1℃). The final germination rate and mean germination time showed that the optimal germination temperature was 25/15℃. Final germination rates were ~70%, showing no significant difference among temperature treatments. However, mean germination time were significantly different among all temperature treatments except for 4/1℃. Mean germination time for seeds with temperature treatments of 15/6℃, 20/10℃, and 25/15℃ were 3.2, 2.1, and 1.5 weeks, respectively. At 25/15℃, the mean germination time was half of that at 15/6℃. Seeds of I. dichotoma had fully developed embryos at the time of dispersal. No additional growth of the embryo was observed. Cold stratification did not affect the final germination rate or the mean germination time. This study shows that seeds of I. dichotoma have no physiological or morphological dormancy, unlike other members of the Iris genus known to have seed dormancy that needs a relatively high incubation temperature (≥25/15℃) for mass propagation to occur. These results will be useful for understanding ecophysiological mechanisms related to the species' habitat. They are also useful for mass propagation of I. dichotoma for the purpose of conserving this endangered species.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.110 no.3
• /
• pp.295-307
• /
• 2021

This study proposed a field-applicable natural regeneration method using natural seeding to afforest a secondary growth forest after felling in Larix kaempferi plantations. In 2016, an experimental site was established usingseed-tree and clear-cutting methods in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Characteristics of seed fructification and inflow in the natural regeneration site were analyzed along with an experimental site in Bonghwa, Gyeongsangbuk-do, which was established in 2014. As a result, the number of seeds per individual tree of V age class L. kaempferi was 690,340 seeds in a good year, with an estimated 13.8 million seeds per ha fruited in natural regeneration sites of L. kaempferi with 25 seed-trees per ha. Seed dispersal began in September and germination rates of seeds dispersed until November were greater than 40%. Reserved seed-tree sites showed the highest amount of seed inflow, followed by the seed-tree site and clear-cut site in descending order. The reserved seed-tree method performed better than other methods for evenly scattering seeds. Therefore, the timing of logging and seedbed generation for natural regeneration of L. kaempferi is estimated to be most effective before September when seeds are purposefully scattered using the reserved seed-tree method as an effective method for uniform seed supply.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
• /
• v.60 no.2
• /
• pp.221-228
• /
• 2021

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith), is a notorious invasive migratory pest native to the tropics that has recently invaded South Korea with subsequent damage to cornfields. This study was conducted to evaluate the damage patterns on corn plants caused by the migratory and subsequent generations of FAW. The early migrant generation-related infestation rates reached an average of 13.2%, ranging from a minimum of 4.3% ('Allog-i') to a maximum of 33.0% ('Chodang'), depending on the corn cultivar. The proportion of FAW larvae-infested corn plants, in which the FAW survived until the pupal stage was 19.3%. The subsequent FAW generation caused considerable damage to the ears, resulting in 60% of ears with damaged kernels. This damage was markedly different from the nearly negligible damage caused by the migratory generation. The FAW larval dispersion was the most dynamic during the second instar stage and occurred along the same cornrow in line. In addition, we discuss the development of corn pant damage patterns caused by FAW. In summary, the results of the present study would provide useful basic information for the damage analysis of this pest for future studies.

• Management & Information Systems Review
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.181-199
• /
• 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine whether or not the volatility of the 1997~1998 Asian crisis still affects the monthly stock returns of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and China from 1980 to 2018. This study investigated whether the volatility has already fallen to pre-crisis levels. To illustrate the possible structural changes in the unconditioned variance due to the Asian financial crisis, we use the MRS-GARCH model, which is a regime switching model. The main results of this study were as follows: First, the stock return of each country was weak in the high volatility regime except Japan resulted by the Asian financial crisis from 1997 to 1998 until March 2018, and the Asian stock market has not yet calmed down except for the global financial crisis period of 2007 and 2008. Second, the conditional volatility has been significantly and persistently decreased and eliminated after the Asian financial crisis. Thus, we could be judged that the Asian stock market was not fully recovered(stable) due to the Asian crisis including the capital liberalization high inflation, worsening current account deficit, overseas low interest rates and expansion of credit growth in 1997 and 1998, but the Asian stock market was largely settled down, except for the 2007 and 2008 in Global financial crises. Considering the similarity between the Asian stock markets and the similar correlation of the regime switching, it may be worthwhile to analyze the MRS-GARCH model.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.164-170
• /
• 2019

The absorption and release capacities, survival efficiency, and recovery rates of five kinds of transport media were evaluated based on the swab elution method (Quantitative) of CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) M40-A2. Liquid media showed mostly better results than semi-solid media in the three evaluations. The flocked swabs had better ability to absorption and discharge bacteria than the standard swabs. The liquid medium (S4) had the best survival efficiency. Pneumococcal strains with poor growth had a higher survival efficiency and recovery rate in liquid media (S4, S5). The results of microbial recovery showed that S. pyogenes met all the CLSI standards in all media. S. pneumoniae was inadequate in the semi- solid media (S2, S3) and all the remaining media met the criteria. H. influenzae was unsuitable in semi-solid media (S1, S3) and met the criteria in semi-solid medium (S2) and liquid medium (S4, S5). The viability of the H. influenzae, pneumococcal strain causing respiratory disease, was poor in most media. Overgrowth of P. aeruginosa was observed at room temperature. The combination of liquid medium and flocked swab confirmed the best results in the three evaluation methods.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.54 no.4
• /
• pp.343-353
• /
• 2018

Our previous research demonstrated the essential role of the xenB gene in stress response to RDX by using Pseudomonas sp. HK-6 xenB knockout. We have extended this work to examine the cellular responses and altered proteomic profiles of the HK-6 xenA knockout mutant under RDX stress. The xenA mutant degraded RDX about 2-fold more slowly and its growth and survival rates were several-fold lower than the wild-type HK-6 strain. SEM revealed more severe morphological damages on the surface of the xenA mutant cells under RDX stress. The wild-type cells expressed proportionally-increased two stress shock proteins, DnaK and GroEL from the initial incubation time point or the relatively low RDX concentrations, but slightly less expressed at prolonged incubation period or higher RDX. However the xenA mutant did not produced DnaK and GroEL as RDX concentrations were gradually increased. The wild-type cells well maintained transcription levels of dnaA and groEL under increased RDX stress while those in the xenA mutant were decreased and eventually disappeared. The altered proteome profiles of xenA mutant cells under RDX stress also observed so that the 27 down-regulated plus the 3 up-regulated expression proteins were detected in 2-DE PAGE. These all results indicated that the intact xenA gene is necessary for maintaining cell integrity under the xenobiotic stress as well as performing an efficient RDX degradation process.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.22 no.5
• /
• pp.27-43
• /
• 2019

This study applied the LANDIS-II model to the forest vegetation of the study area in Yeongdong-gun, Korea to identify climate effects on ecosystems of forest vegetation. The main purpose of the study is to examine the long-term changes in forest aboveground biomass(AGB) under three different climate change scenarios; The baseline climate scenario is to maintain the current climate condition; the RCP 4.5 scenario is a stabilization scenario to employ of technologies and strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; the RCP 8.5 scenario is increasing greenhouse gas emissions over time representative with 936ppm of $CO_2$ concentration by 2100. The vegetation survey and tree-ring analysis were conducted to work out the initial vegetation maps and data for operation of the LANDIS model. Six types of forest vegetation communities were found including Quercus mongolica - Pinus densiflora community, Quercus mongolica community, Pinus densiflora community, Quercus variabilis-Quercus acutissima community, Larix leptolepis afforestation and Pinus koraiensis afforestation. As for changes in total AGB under three climate change scenarios, it was found that RCP 4.5 scenario featured the highest rate of increase in AGB whereas RCP 8.5 scenario yielded the lowest rate of increase. These results suggest that moderately elevated temperatures and $CO_2$ concentrations helped the biomass flourish as photosynthesis and water use efficiency increased, but huge increase in temperature ($above+4.0^{\circ}C$) has resulted in the increased respiration with increasing temperature. Consequently, Species productivity(Biomass) of trees decrease as the temperature is elevated drastically. It has been confirmed that the dominant species in all scenarios was Quercus mongolica. Like the trends shown in the changes of total AGB, it revealed the biggest increase in the AGB of Quercus mongolica under the RCP 4.5 scenario. AGB of Quercus mongolica and Quercus variabilis decreased in the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios after 2050 but have much higher growth rates of the AGB starting from 2050 under the baseline scenario. Under all scenarios, the AGB of coniferous species was eventually perished in 2100. In particular they were extinguished in early stages of the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios. This is because of natural selection of communities by successions and the failure to adapt to climate change. The results of the study could be expected to be effectively utilized to predict changes of the forest ecosystems due to climate change and to be used as basic data for establishing strategies for adaptation climate changes and the management plans for forest vegetation restoration in ecological restoration fields.

• International Area Studies Review
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.105-125
• /
• 2016

The expansionary monetary policy was practiced after 2001 in Japan to treat the deflation spiral, and reduced only the nominal interest rates and domestic household demand. One of the most serious factors for this failure was the change of private sector's expectancy. This paper has studied the effect of Japanese monetary policy in 21c., with empirical research based on a renewed macroeconomic model and the VAR. The empirical analysis shows that the effect of monetary policy on the national income during 2001.01-2015.03 is weaker than that of 1985.01-1994.04. Money volume has a diminutive effect on the growth of GDP within a short term after 2001. The change in the expectations of the private sectors might have been the cause of ineffectiveness of the expansive monetary policy. Economic agents learned from the past Japanese financial crisis that an expansive monetary policy increased the inflation rate and caused the 'bubbles to burst' afterwards. The VAR analysis says that the effectiveness of monetary policy on the economic depression declined over the past 20 years and the expansion of money volume has no influence on exchange rate and net export. This means that the expansive monetary policy lost its effect on net export and national income steadily. Monetary policy makers have to recognize this fact, and to consider another anti-cycle political instrument, i.e. the fiscal policy with government debt.