• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.58 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2020

The chigger mite Leptotrombidium sialkotense is one of the 6 main vectors of scrub typhus in China. Before present study, L. sialkotense was found in some parts of Hunan province, China with a narrow geographical distribution. During field investigation 2016-2017, we found L. sialkotense in Jingha, southern Yunnan, China. Of 15 small mammal host species, L. sialkotense were collected from 6 species of the hosts. Rattus brunneusculus was a dominant host of L. sialkotense, from which 98.3% of the mites were collected. The chigger mite showed a relatively high infestation prevalence (P_M =11.7%) and mean abundance (MA=0.5) in comparison with the rest 5 host species. These results reveal a certain host specificity of L. sialkotense to a rat R. brunneusculus. The mite L. sialkotense showed an aggregated distribution on the host (P<0.05). A positive correlation observed between L. sialkotense and the body length of hosts. There was a positive interspecific association between L. sialkotense and 2 other dominant vectors, L. deliense and L. scutellare.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.134-148
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• 2023

Background: The conducting of health effect surveys (HESs) in environmentally contaminated vulnerable areas (ECVAs) by the central and local governments has been increasing apace with the increase in demand for HESs since the Environmental Health Act was enacted in South Korea in 2008. Objectives: This study aimed to review the HESs of residents in ECVAs conducted in South Korea. Methods: An analysis was performed on 125 reports obtained from the Environment Digital Library, PRISM, and local government websites after selecting from 803 projects obtained as ECVAs from the Korea ON-Line E-Procurement System (1997~2021), National Institute Environment Research (2000~2021), and Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute (2009~2021). The reports were classified by background (residents' demand, HES, and more), research design (cross-sectional study, cohort, ecological study, and panel), pollution source (abandoned metal mine (AMM), industrial complex (IC), and more), and assessment method of exposure and health effects. The survey area was converted into administrative district codes for geographical mapping. Results: There were 37, 34, 18, and 10 cases associated with AMM, IC, waste incinerators, and coal-fired power plants, respectively. Most of the studies conducted were cross-sectional studies and ecological studies. The proportion of epidemiological investigations by residents' demand showed an increase from 0.0% to 8.9% for the central government while decreasing from 16.7% to 14.3% for local governments after 2008 compared to before 2008. HESs increased at both the central and local government levels since 2014. For the evaluation method, 365 environmental hazards, 319 health outcomes, and 302 biological markers were investigated, with the most commonly investigated items being metals, cancer, and blood metals. Conclusions: HESs of residents in ECVAs in South Korea have been continuously developed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Future improvements are expected, and systematic review and classification of the HESs is warranted.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.819-828
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• 2011

To inspect norovirus contamination of groundwater in south eastern areas of Korea, a systematic survey of groundwater in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do was performed for two years from 2009 to 2010. For this purpose, we first optimized the nested reverse transcription-PCR condition by designing two sets of primers for the detection of norovirus genogroups, GI and GII. Of 145 samples, 21 (25.9%) and 15 (23.4%) were norovirus positive in the dry season (April to June) and wet season (July to August), respectively. The detection frequencies of norovirus in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do were 15%, 7%, and 32%, respectively, reflecting a geographical difference in their distribution. The GI and GII isolates were 5 and 31, respectively, indicating the prevalence of GII in the tested areas. According to phylogenetic analysis of their nucleotide sequences, all of the GI isolates were identified to genotype GI.5 whilst the GII isolates were divided into two genotypes, GII.3 and GII.4. Neither physical-chemical parameters such as pH, temperature, oxidation-reduction potential, and dissolved oxygen, nor microbial indicators of water quality such as total bacteria, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli were statistically correlated with contamination of norovirus in the groundwater. Interestingly, however, the presence of norovirus was closely correlated with low turbidity (<0.50 NTU). The present study suggests that periodical monitoring of norovirus in groundwater is necessary to prevent epidemic waterborne diseases and to secure better sanitary conditions for public health.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyze the direction of slope sliding that occurred at the highland ${\bigcirc}{\bigcirc}$ district in the Samcheok coalfield, using geological and structural detail surveys. The study area is dominated by the Paleozoic Pyong-an Group, and sliding is concentrated in zones of alternating sandstone and shale beds in the Geumcheon and Jangsung Formations. Discontinuities in the area have a strike of NE-SW and dip at 30~$80^{\circ}$ to the NW and 40~$80^{\circ}$ to the SE. However, some have strikes of NW-SE. In slide area group 1 (P1 to P4), en echelon tension gashes were caused by shearing. The surface in the areas of group 2 (P5 to P7) and group 3 (P8 and P9) is marked by step-type tension cracks that formed due to extension. This phenomenon caused anticlockwise rotation of the sliding slope. Otherwise, the cutting of the road side through the eastern slope of the mountain contributed to surface sliding due to geographical equilibrium loss.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2015

The bacterial community structures of two marine sponges, Cinachyrella sp. and Plakortis sp., collected from Chuuk in the South Pacific in February 2012 were analyzed by PCR-DGGE (Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) fingerprinting. After isolation of the total genomic DNAs from the sponges, the V3 regions of the 16S rRNA genes were amplified and subjected to DGGE profiling. The two species of sponges displayed different DGGE band patterns. The sequences derived from the DGGE bands revealed 85-100% similarities to known bacterial species in the public database. The bacterial community of Cinachyrella sp. was composed of 6 classes: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Proteobacteria (Alpha-, Gamma-, Delta-). The bacterial community of Plakortis sp. included 7 classes: Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Firmicutes, Spirochaetes, and Proteobacteria (Alpha-, Gamma-, Delta-). Though Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria were commonly found in both sponges, the predominant bacterial communities differed between the two. Namely, the predominant bacterial groups in Cinachyrella sp. and Plakortis sp. were Proteobacteria and Chloroflexi, respectively. The sponge-associated bacteria are sponge host-specific, as each of the tested sponges from the same geographical location had different predominant bacterial diversity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.227-233
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• 2023

The purpose of this paper was to describe a statistical analysis for the spatial distribution of geographical distances of Erythronium japonicum at Mt. Geumjeong in Korea. The spatial pattern of E. japonicum was analyzed according to the nearest neighbor rule, population aggregation under different plot sizes by dispersion indices, and spatial autocorrelation. Most natural plots of E. japonicum were uniformly distributed in the forest community. Disturbed plots were aggregately distributed within 5 m × 5 m of one another. Neighboring patches of E. japonicum were predominantly 7.5~10 m apart on average. If the natural populations of E. japonicum were disturbed by human activities, then the aggregation occurred in a shorter distance than the 7.5~10 m distance scale. The Morisita index (IM) is related to the patchiness index (PAI) that showed the 2.5 m × 5 m plot had an overly steep slope at the west and south areas when the area was smaller than 5 m × 5 m. When the patch size was one 2.5 m × 5 m quadrat at the west distributed area of Mt. Geumjeong, the cluster was determined by both species characteristics and environmental factors. The comparison of Moran's I values to a logistic regression indicated that individuals in E. japonicum populations at Mt. Geumjeong could be explained by isolation by distance.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.24 no.2 s.34
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• pp.171-180
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• 1991

Productivity analysis of physician is one of essential factors for the optimal health manpower planning. Among 690 physicians operating clinic and registered on the Kyeongsangnamdo Medical Association, 623 physicians were studied with a structural questionaire from April 1 to May 31, 1990. This study covers the general characteristics and productivity of physicians and attempts to find relevant determinants of their productivity through stepwise multiple regression analysis based on collected data. The mar results were as follows. First, physicians were more prevalent $35{\sim}44$ group (30.2%) in age, male (95.8%) in sex, specialist (76.5%) in specialization,'city (78.0%) in geographical location. Age group of 35-54 and specialist were mere prevalent in cities than in counties, while age group of 25-44 and 55 over and general practitioner in counties (p<0.001). Second, daily outpatients load of all physician were 77.1 persons on average. Age group of $35{\sim}44$ had the most outpatient load (90.3 persons) among all age group, $6{\sim}10$ years group (94.2 persons) in years of duration of practice, 11 hours per day group (83.4 persons) in working hours per day. Specialists had more outpatient load (82.6 persons) than general practitioners (61.1 persons) and physicians in cities had more (80.2 persons) than physicians in counties (66.3 persons). Daily average outpatient load of physicians were significantly different by their age, speciality, number of assistants and years of practice (p<0.001) and working location (p<0.05), but not significantly different by working hours per day of physician (p>0.1). Third, the productivity of physicians operating clinic were significantly affected by the three factors-number of assistants of physician, age of physician and duration of practice at the current clinic. Age of physician had negative regression coefficient.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.297-301
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• 2001

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the extent of heavy metals(As, Pb, Cd, Hg)accumulated in sediments of the Kwangyang Bay, and to investigate bioaccumulation of heavy metals(As, Pb, Cd, Hg) in shellfish(Ruditapes philippinarum) commonly found in the intertidal zone of the Kwangyang Bay. The data was also compared with that of Namhae and Kohung intertidal zones, which were regarded as control stations in this study. Substantial geographical variations in heavy metal concentrations in the sediment samples were found. However, heavy metal concentrations in the sediment collected from the intertidal zones of Yochon(stations I, J) and Myodo(stations G, H) close to Yochon Industrial Area exhibited relatively higher heavy metal concentrations, compared to those from other intertidal zones(stations A, B, C) adjacent to POSCO at Kwangyang Bay. In addition, stations A, B, C showed lower heavy metal concentrations in the sediments than controls(K, L). The annual mean concentrations of the heavy metals in the shellfish from the stations(G, H, I, J) were significantly higher than those from other stations(A, B, C, D, E, F). Nevertheless, heavy metal accumulation in sediments was not reflected in bioaccumulation of heavy metals in shellfish, probably indicating that interactions between the heavy metals in sediment and shellfish might be poor in the current study area, Kwangyang Bay.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.21 no.1 s.23
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• pp.31-46
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• 1988

In order to designate a present status necessary for establishment of preventive measures and guidelines of health education against hepatitis B in the course of secondary school education, knowledge and practice toward hepatitis B virus infection was surveyed by a questionnare method on total of 4,855 college entrants in the academic year of 1987 and analyzed the data collected using IBM PC(Trigem 88-II) with SAS package program. About two per cent of college entrants had past history of HBV infections not showing any difference between both sexes and geographical regions. About one third(33.7%) of total students had tested hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg), only 4% had tested hepatitis B surface antibody(HBsAb) and vaccination rate amounted to 24.6%, one fourth of total subjects. Both serological tests and vaccination were most commonly performed during adolescence, showing higher rates in female students than in male students. The rates also seemed to be higher in those from urban cities than those from rural cities. Students who had acquired correct knowledge that hepatitis B was infected by virus were amounted to 78.5% of college entrants, and remaining 21.5% had misunderstood that rickettsia, bacteria, fungi or parasites were causal agents. Female students were better aware of the causal agents than male students but there was no difference between places of growth. As for mode of transmission of HBV, 51.5% of male students and 47.7% of female students had correct knowledge. A very few student had known that fact that HBV was transmitted by body fluids such as tear(6.9%), nasal discharge(10.1%) and semen or vaginal secretion(19.2%) and majority(75%) of students had misunderstood that hepatitis B virus would be transmitted per os through food ingestion. Approximately one half(48.9%) of college entrants had knew correctly whom to be vaccinated. Approximately one half of the students knew that hepatr;ma(57.8%) and liver cirrhosis(57.4%) might complicate with hepatitis B virus infection, whereas 12.0% of the students responded that bronchitis was one of the complications of hepatitis B infection. In summary of the above results, we highly recommend that health education program for eradication of hepatitis B virus infection should be introduced in curricula of secondary school education in this country.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.59 no.6
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• pp.625-634
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• 2021

Based on the field investigations in 91 investigation sites (counties) in southwest China between 2001 and 2019, the present paper reported the chigger mites on A. agrarius mice in southwest China for the first time by using a series of statistical methods. From 715 striped field mice captured in 28 of 91 investigated sites, only 255 chiggers were collected, and they were identified as 14 species, 6 genera in 3 subfamilies under 2 families. Of 715 A. agrarius mice, only 24 of them were infested with chigger mites with low overall prevalence (P_M=3.4%), overall mean abundance (M_A=0.36 mites/host) and overall mean intensity (M_I=10.63 mites/host). The species diversity and infestation of chiggers on A. agrarius were much lower than those previously reported on some other rodents in southwest China. On a certain species of rodent, A. agrarius mouse in southwest China seems to have a very low susceptibility to chigger infestations than in other geographical regions. Of 14 chigger species, there were 3 dominant species, Leptotrombidium sialkotense, L. rupestre and Schoengastiella novoconfuciana, which were of aggregated distribution among different individuals of A. agrarius hosts. L. sialkotense, one of 6 main vectors of scrub typhus in China, was the first dominant on A. agrarius. The species similarity of chigger mites on male and female hosts was low with C_SS=0.25, and this reflects the sex-bias of different genders of A. agrarius mice in harboring different chigger species.