• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.2961-2966
• /
• 2012

Extremely low frequency electro magnetic fields (EMFs) have been classified as possibly carcinogenic to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. An increased number of chromosomal alterations in peripheral lymphocytes are correlated with elevated incidence of cancer. The aim of the present study was to assess occupationally induced chromosomal damage in EMF workers exposed to low levels of radiation. We used conventional metaphase chromosome aberration (CA) analysis and the micronucleus (MN) assay as biological indicators of non ionizing radiation exposure. In the present study totally 70 subjects were selected including 50 exposed and 20 controls. Informed written consent was obtained from all participants and the study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the approval of the local ethical committee. A higher degree of CA and MN was observed in exposed subjects compared to controls, the frequency of CA being significantly enhanced with long years of exposure (P<0.05). Moreover increase in CA and MN with age was noted in both exposed subjects and controls, but was significantly greater in the former. The results of this study demonstrated that a significant induction of cytogenetic damage in peripheral lymphocytes of workers occupationally exposed to EMFs in electric transformer and distribution stations. In conclusion, our findings suggest that EMFs possess genotoxic capability, as measured by CA and MN assays; CA analysis appeared more sensitive than other cytogenetic end-points. It can be concluded that chronic occupational exposure to EMFs may lead to an increased risk of genetic damage among electrical workers.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
• /
• v.34 no.3
• /
• pp.188-198
• /
• 2008

Since 2003, the National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) of Korea has been conducting "The monitoring study on exposure level and biomarkers of environmental pollutants" in the Ulsan industrial complex with the goals to establish a surveillance system for residents, to evaluate the health effects associated with chronic exposure to environmental pollutants and to develop the environmental health indicators in Ulsan industrial complex. This program consists of three phases an initial or foundation phase in which the program is developed, made operational and extended to the community, followed by an evaluation and accountability assessment of the surveillance system and finally an improvement in the quality of life and the maintenance of good health for Ulsan residents. In the period 2003 to 2008, the study program developed the surveillance system which will be used for the full-length survey. All participants in this study were contacted at a presentation meeting for residents, introduced to the objectives and protocols of the survey, and asked to participate. Informed consent was obtained from each participant. The study is now underway and includes questionnaires, health examinations and the analysis/collection/banking of bio-sample such as blood and urine. To date 828 subjects have participated and already 588 subjects have been followed up. We are committed to complete health examinations and to arrange storage of biosample for all participants. During the current year, we will analyze metals (Pb in blood and Cd, inorganic As and Hg in urine) in 1,972 samples and VOCs (11 species) and PARs (18 species) in 300 samples (blood sample). Moreover, the summary of the first step and the further preparation of the second step are currently underway. In this article, we introduce the study and its protocols and the distribution and size of the study participants. In conclusion, this survey will be continuously conducted on the established cohort and will enable the identification of relationship between environmental pollutant exposures and the health status of residents in Ulsan industrial complex.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.102-107
• /
• 2015

Purpose Serum Thyroglobulin measurement is a major tool for the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients. Thyroglobulin is Normal thyroid tissue, or thyroid cancer tissue produced only. Thyroid hormone to a halt without Tg differentiation of thyroid cancer recurrence just by measuring how to decide whether there was increasing expectations if I can do it instead. Therefore, in excellent sensitivity Tg new inspection of the functional sensitivity by measuring the looked to evaluate the usefulness of reagents. Thyroidectomy is measuring the numbers Tg (total thyroidectomy) remaining thyroid ablation and radioactive iodine (radioactive iodine remnant ablation, RRA) DTC in patients being diagnosed with or help predict the remaining early detection of thyroid cancer recurrence. Materials and Methods Agent that I'm currently using Tg of the measurements of low clinical specimen for a second drainage of the three (0.08 0.17, 0.98, ng/mL) within the scope of the dilute magnification (2, 4, 8, 16, 32 times) by dilute Intraassy (n=10) and Interassay (n=10) out in no time. Concentration value according to the coefficient of variation and the mean and standard deviation of each measurement (Coefficient of variation, CV) the absolute value of the measured values that corresponds to 20 percent target a coefficient of variation of CV Find the value of the concentration of the functional sensitivity measurement did. Also, analytical sensitivity with recovery rates, Dilution test inspections, and interrelationship, compared. Results Sensitivity is an excellent analytical sensitivity within the prosecutor kit Tg 0.006 ng/mL, and core analytical sensitivity, conducted by the 0.006 ng/mL to same conclusion. Be rather high to 142 percent recovery rate was 60 to measurement and functional sensitivity, 0.01766 ng/mL(Intraassay n=10) was measured at. CBC is relatively good correlation as ($R^2=0.949$) the correlation. Conclusion Recently ultrasensitive thyroglobulin this clinically important indicators of the previous kit and demands are lower than sensitivity to the measurement results. Therefore, ultrasensitive thyroglobulin test is correlated that there would be useful in value in nuclear medicine the thyroid gland.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.525-535
• /
• 2019

In this study, 49 major WCS(Wildlife Crossing Structure), including Baekdu-daegan, were evaluated for the effectiveness of WCS on using the daily average frequency index and diversity Index comparing the number of species that appear with the surrounding habitats. According to the analysis, the average use frequency of the entire WCS was 1.4 times, and the average number of WCS exceeded the average was 17 and 34.7 percent of the total. There were 18 WCS with the same number of habitats and species that appeared in the same area, or 36.7 percent of the total. The daily average use frequency and variety were all analyzed at 10 efficient WCS, accounting for 20.4 percent of the total. According to the results of an site survey on the compliance rate of 4 efficient WCS, the compliance rate of the Deoksanjae overpass was the best in location selection, specifications, vegetation cover and soil, fence. The results of this research will be used as basic data for the study of WCS effectiveness, including the improvement of functions of new and installed WCS.

• Quality Improvement in Health Care
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.190-202
• /
• 2000

Background : The objectives of this study were to examine patients' satisfaction with the DRG based payment method and its association with their awareness of the method, to examine patient reported changes in doctors' caring attitude, level of their out-of-pocket payments, providers' acceptance of patients' request for additional services after the program, and to examine changes in service utilization recorded in medical records. Method : One hundred-four patients who had cesarean sections before and after the demonstration program at two hospitals located in Seoul participated in the study. Patients were surveyed before discharges when their charges were finalized. Their medical records were reviewed as well to collect data for service utilization during hospital stays. The association between patients' satisfaction with the payment method and their awareness of the method was analyzed by ${\chi}^2$-test, and the significance of changes in providers' acceptance of patients' request for additional services and service utilization after the program were examined by ${\chi}^2$-test and t-test, respectively. Results : A large proportion of patients did not know of the DRG based payment method at the time of survey and a significantly larger proportion of patients who came to the hospitals with the knowledge satisfied with the method. About the same proportion of patients reported improvement and deterioration in doctors' caring attitude compare to the previous hospitalizations and a similar result was found concerning out-of-pocket payments. Providers' acceptance of patients' request for medication, PCA and painless delivery decreased significantly after the program whereas the acceptance for additional hospital days and laboratory and radiology tests did not. Length of stay, the numbers of days on antibiotics and antianemic medication, and the number of blood tests decreased significantly after the program, however, decreases in the rate of antianemic medication and the number of urine analyses were not statistically significant. Re-operation, in-hospital death, and complications were not observed before and after the program. Conclusion : The study findings indicated a need for better patient education and publicity about the newly introduced payment method to improve their satisfaction with the system. Other study findings concerning service utilization and quality of care indicators were consistent with the government funded evaluation studies.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.157-168
• /
• 2024

The frequent occurrence of structural failures at building construction sites in Korea has underscored the critical role of rigorous oversight in the inspection and management of construction projects. As mandated by prevailing regulations and standards, onsite supervision by designated supervisors encompasses thorough documentation of construction quality, material standards, and the history of any reconstructions, among other factors. These reports, predominantly consisting of unstructured data, constitute approximately 80% of the data amassed at construction sites and serve as a comprehensive repository of quality-related information. This research introduces the SL-QPA model, which employs text mining techniques to preprocess supervision reports and establish a sentiment dictionary, thereby enabling the quantification of quality performance. The study's findings, demonstrating a statistically significant Pearson correlation between the quality performance scores derived from the SL-QPA model and various legally defined indicators, were substantiated through a one-way analysis of variance of the correlation coefficients. The SL-QPA model, as developed in this study, offers a supplementary approach to evaluating the quality performance of building construction projects. It holds the promise of enhancing quality inspection and management practices by harnessing the wealth of unstructured data generated throughout the lifecycle of construction projects.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.218-225
• /
• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to explore the feasibility of functional evaluation of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs). Materials and Methods: A total of 119 patients with TMD (23 male and 96 female; mean age ± standard deviation, 41 ± 15 years; 58 bilateral and 61 unilateral involvements for a total of 177 joints) and 20 healthy volunteers (9 male and 11 female; 40 ± 13 years; 40 joints) were included in this prospective study. Based on DTI of the jaw in the resting state, the diffusion parameters, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), λ1, λ2, and λ3 of the superior and inferior heads of the LPM (SHLPM and IHLPM) were measured. Patients with TMD with normal disc position (ND), anterior disc displacement with reduction (ADWR), and anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADWOR) were compared. Results: Patients with TMD overall, and ADWR and ADWOR subgroups had significantly higher ADC, λ1, λ2, and λ3 in both the SHLPM and IHLPM than those in volunteers (p < 0.05 for all), whereas the ND subgroup only had significantly higher ADC and λ1 (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, significant differences in FA in the SHLPM and IHLPM were found between volunteers and ADWOR (p = 0.014 and p = 0.037, respectively). Among the three TMD subgroups, except for λ3 and FA in the ADWR subgroup, ADWR and ADWOR subgroups had significantly higher ADC, λ1, λ2, and λ3 and lower FA than those in the ND group (p < 0.050). There was no significant difference in diffusion variables between ADWR and ADWOR. In ADWOR, the osteoarthritis group had significantly higher λ3 and lower FA values in the IHLPM than those in the non-osteoarthritis group. Conclusion: DTI successfully detected functional changes in the LPM in patients with TMD. The unsynchronized diffusivity changes in the LPM in different subgroups of TMD signified the possibility of using diffusion parameters as indicators to identify the severity of LPM hyperfunction at various stages of TMD.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.79 no.1
• /
• pp.31-36
• /
• 2016

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for mechanical ventilation in the patients with scrub typhus admitted to intensive care unit (ICU) at a university hospital. Methods: We retrospectively selected and analyzed clinical data from the medical records of 70 patients (32 men, 38 women) admitted to the ICU with scrub typhus between 2004 and 2014. The patients had a mean${\pm}$standard deviation age of $71.2{\pm}11.1years$ and were evaluated in two groups: those who had been treated with mechanical ventilation (the MV group, n=19) and those who had not (the non-MV group, n=51). Mean ages of the MV group and the non-MV group were $71.2{\pm}8.3years$ and $71.2{\pm}11.1years$, respectively. Results: Significant differences between the two groups were observed with respect to acute respiratory failure (p=0.008), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score (p=0.015), Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score (p=0.013), death (p=0.014), and ICU duration (p<0.01). Multivariate analysis indicated that the following factors were significantly associated with mechanical ventilation: acute respiratory failure (p=0.011), SOFA score (p=0.005), APACHE II score (p=0.011), platelet count (p=0.009), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (p=0.011). Conclusion: Thus, five factors-acute respiratory failure, SOFA score, APACHE II score, platelet count, and LDH-can be the meaningful indicators for mechanical ventilation for the patients with scrub typhus admitted to ICU.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Traditional Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.75-87
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate conservation and management methods of the Joseon Royal Tombs under the Eastern District Management Office. Through the literature survey, we understood the process of change of Joseon royal tombs, and through field surveys and interviews, we understood the status of the interior and the surrounding area. In this process, topography, land use and flow of human traffic, architecture and stone objects, water system, historical forests, and facilities were set as the main evaluation indicators. Urbanization has damaged the original terrains of Royal Tombs as national roads, buildings and facilities have constructed in the inner and outer area of Joseon Royal Tombs. Construction of underground passage, land purchase, relocation and demolition of the buildings are required for the conservation of the Royal Tombs area, and then it is necessary to recover the original terrain. In the case of land use and pathways, there are many disconnection of the original ritual circulation, they should be maintained to remind the sacred atmosphere of the royal tomb. And It is necessary to collect accurate information on the lost buildings and stoneworks through literature survey and excavation investigation, and that investigations should be lead to the exposure or restoration of the ruins. Historical forests require periodic and ongoing monitoring and management, and it is necessary to establish new entrance area and appropriate facilities following the long-Term conservation and management plan. These plans should be classified into short, medium and long-Term projects according to urgency and securing financial resources with a long perspective to implement continuous and systematic projects.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.215-226
• /
• 2000

We evaluated the aquatic ecosystem of Keum-Ho River through applications of the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) using fish assemblages and Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) during June-November 1999. Overall IBI values ranged from 13 to 37 with mean of 23 (n=25, Std. error= 1.16), indicating a "Poor" or "Very Poor" condition according to the criteria of Karr (1981) and U.S. EPA (1993). The values of mean IBI declined at the rate of $0.22km^{-1}$(($r^2$=0.91, p< 0.05) along the longitudinal distance from the headwaters to the down-river. Reduced IBI values at down-river (St. 4 and 5) were attributed to the decreases in riffle benthic species and the relative abundance of insectivore and increases in tolerant species, anormalies and exotic species. Spatial pattern in IBI agreed with QHEI values, which showed a linear relation ($r^2$=0.998, p< 0.001) with mean number of species. Field measurements of conductivity and pH, indicators for variation of conservative ions, showed that the river water was diluted up to 30% by summer precipitation and surface run-off from the watershed, resulting in physical and chemical instability during the monsoon. For these reasons, average IBI values during monsoon and postmonsoon decreased more than 20% compared to pre -monsoon. Before the perturbation of the system (i.e., pre-monsoon), values of QHEI were inversely correlated (r=-0.99, p< 0.0001) with realtive abundance of native omnivore and were positively correlated (r=0.87, p=0.05) with relative abundance of native carnivore. These results indicate that spatial degradation of habitat quality modified the species richness and trophic structure, producing decreased IBI values. (Biological integrity, IBI, Monsoon, Habitat, River, Korea)bitat, River, Korea)