• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.48-55
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• 2021

Objectives: This study was conducted to estimate the dietary iodine intake of Koreans by a Total Diet Study (TDS) which provides 'closer-to-real' estimates of exposure to hazardous materials and nutrients through an analysis of table-ready (cooked) samples of foods. Methods: Dietary intake data from 2013-2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) was used to select representative foods (RFs) for iodine analysis. A total of 115 RFs were selected and 158 'RF × cooking method-combination' pairs were derived by pairing each RF to corresponding cooking method(s) used more frequently. RFs were collected from 9 mega-markets in 9 metropolitan cities nationwide and mixed into composites prior to cooking preparation to a 'table ready' state for iodine analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Iodine intake of Koreans was estimated based on the food intake data of the 2016-2018 KNHANES. Results: High iodine content was detected in seaweeds such as sea mustard and kelp. The mean iodine intake/capita/day was 418.4 ㎍ and the median value was 129.0 ㎍. Seaweeds contributed to 77.4% of the total iodine intake and the contribution by food item was as follows: sea mustard (44.0%), kelp (20.4%), laver (13.1%), milk (3.9%), egg (3.5%). Compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans 2020, the proportion of people with iodine intake exceeding the tolerable upper intake level or below the estimated average requirement was high in the physiologically vulnerable groups (infants, children, pregnant women, and lactating women). Conclusions: The results, drawn from a TDS, are regarded closer to real estimates for iodine intake of Koreans compared with values in existing literature, which were based on a very limited variety of foods. On the other hand, it seems necessary to seek out solutions for the problematic iodine intake among physiologically vulnerable groups through in-depth analyses on food intake data collected with significant scale & quality.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.671-678
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• 2021

In a previous study, technology protection levels were set on a qualitative basis. That study lacked quantitative standards, so here, we conduct a study to complement the previous study and to present an objective standard. This paper provides a method of setting a technical protection level that applies statistical analysis. To set the technology protection level, statistical analysis of six technical survey items is performed first. Second, the technical survey items are analyzed by AHP to quantify the opinions of experts in order to derive weights for each technical survey item. Finally, by using the normal distribution scatter map and median calculation method, the technology protection level is selected in three stages using the final detailed factor technology score reflecting the weight. The technology protection level methodology developed through this study is the first methodology with objectivity that can evaluate defense technology by level. If this methodology is applied in practice, it is believed that it will provide a scientific and quantitative technology value judgment criterion when setting the technology protection level in the future.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.587-601
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• 2020

Exposure to hazardous substances occurs through multiple pathways. Aggregated risk assessment, which includes all potential exposure pathways to a single toxicant, is necessary to prevent exposure to harmful substances. We aimed to estimate cadmium and lead exposure through various media, such as food, water, air, smoking, cosmetics, and female hygiene products. This study covered 10,733 subjects from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(2016, 2017). Dietary exposure was estimated using 24-hour recall data. For water and inhalational exposure, regional variations were considered. Water was classified as tap, bottled, and public water. Inhalational exposure was estimated using the '2014 Time Use Survey' based on daily lifestyle and social status. The frequency and volume of cosmetic usage were randomly approximated by sex and age. Post-menarcheal and premenopausal women were assumed to use feminine hygiene products. Non-carcinogenic aggregated risks were estimated using the Aggregate Risk Index from EPAs and the Total Exposure Hazard Index from Korean government guidelines. For carcinogenic risk assessment, excessive cancer risk was estimated. Ingestion, especially food, was the major route for both cadmium and lead exposure. Smoking was also associated with high cadmium exposure. Exposure to lead from cosmetics was remarkable but not critical. In aggregate risk assessments, median cadmium and lead exposure did not exceed the reference value. Sex, age, smoking status, and income affected exposure levels, unlike to regional variations.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1376-1385
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• 2021

Foot-and-mouth disease, one of the most contagious diseases in cloven-hoofed animals, causes significant economic losses. The pathogenesis of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) infection is known to differ with age of the animals. In this study, we aimed to reveal the difference in immunological response in the initial stage of FMDV infection between piglets and adult pigs. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from 3 piglets (8 weeks old) and 3 pigs (35 weeks old) that were not vaccinated against FMDV. O-type FMDV (2 × 10² median tissue culture infectious dose) was inoculated into porcine PBMCs and the cells were incubated at 37.0℃ under 5% CO₂ for various time periods (0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h). The total RNA was obtained from the FMDV-inoculated PBMCs after each time point, and the virus titer was investigated in these RNA samples. Furthermore, dynamics of mRNA expression of the six tested cytokines (interferon [IFN]-α, IFN-γ, interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) in FMDV-inoculated porcine PBMCs were evaluated by time-series analysis to determine the differences, if any, based on the age of the pigs. The PBMCs of piglets contained the highest quantity of FMDV mRNA at 6 hours post-inoculation (hpi), and the PBMCs of pigs had the highest quantity of FMDV mRNA at 3 hpi. The mean cycle threshold-value in the PBMCs steadily decreased after the peak time point in the piglets and pigs (6 and 3 hpi, respectively). The dynamics of mRNA expression of all cytokines except TNF-α showed age-dependent differences in FMDV-inoculated PBMCs. The mRNA expression of most cytokines was more pronounced in the piglets than in the pigs, implying that the immune response against FMDV showed an age-dependent difference in pigs. In conclusion, within 48 hpi, the 8-week-old piglets responded more rapidly and were more sensitive to FMDV infection than the 35-week-old pigs, which could be associated with the difference in the pathogenesis of FMDV infection among the pigs. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the age-dependent differences in immune response in pigs against FMDV infection.

• Journal of Korean Society of Coastal and Ocean Engineers
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.303-314
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• 2022

The persistence analysis of marine physical environment factors is a basic analysis that must precede the use of sea areas as an analysis required in the coastal engineering such as downtime and design. In this study, the persistence analysis was implemented for wind speed and significant wave height data from four observation points of Deokjeokdo, Oeyeondo, Geomundo, and Geojedo among the marine meteorological observation buoys of the Korea Meteorological Administration. The persistence time means the consecutive time of observation data beyond specific level. The threshold wind speed and significant wave height were set in the range of 1~15 m/s and the range of 0.25~3.0 m, respectively. Then, the persistence time was extracted. As a result of the analysis, the persistence time of wind speed and significant wave height decreased rapidly as the reference value increased. The median persistence times under the maximum reference thresholds were assessed as a maximum of 5 hours for wind speed and a maximum of 8 hours for significant wave height. When the reference wind speed and significant wave height were 15 m/s and 3 m, respectively, the persistence time that could occur with a 1% probability were 52 and 56 hours. This study can be expanded to all coastal areas in Korea, and it is expected that various engineering applications by performing a persistence analysis of the metocean data.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.74-82
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• 2023

Nepeta sibirica L. or Siberian catmint is a medicinal plant species used in Mongolian traditional medicine for curing human different disorders and veterinary practices. The previous study of the whole plant concentrated on the determination of its essential oil composition and reported that the major ones are sesquiterpenes, including nepetalactone. The aim of this study was to reveal a new biological activity of the above-ground parts of N. sibirica L. and compare the activity of different extracts correlating with the content of biologically active compounds and evaluate their toxicity. For this purpose, anti-oxidative and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of the above-ground parts of N. sibirica L. aqueous and ethanol (EtOH) (40%, 70%) extracts were assayed spectrophotometrically. The aqueous extract showed positive anti-oxidative activity by both tested DPPH and FRAP assays with IC₅₀ 134.24 ± 1.42 mg/mL and FRAP value 1385.15 ± 8.12 µmol/L at 200 ㎍/mL, in contrast to 40% and 70% EtOH extracts. The 70% EtOH extract presented the highest acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ 77.29 ± 0.38 mg/mL) followed by 40% EtOH extract (176.72 ± 0.35 mg/mL) and aqueous extract (275.41 ± 0.23 mg/mL). Total phenolics were found to be gallic acid equivalent, % 3.74 ± 0.05 (70% EtOH), 3.94 ± 0.04 (40% EtOH), and 3.79 ± 0.16 (aqueous), whereas the total flavonoids as a rutin equivalent, % as 2.01 ± 0.12, 1.44 ± 0.17 and 1.99 ± 0.02, each. The aqueous extract showed the best anti-oxidative and lowest activity against the acetylcholinesterase; however, the 70% EtOH extract showed the opposite effects than that of the aqueous. No mortality incidence was visible at various doses, indicating that the oral median lethal dose of aqueous and 70% EtOH extracts were considered greater than 5000 mg/kg. N. sibirica L. belongs to the non-toxic category of the OECD 423 classification.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.151-162
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• 2024

As the incidence direction of ground motion (or seismic wave) changes, the seismic response of the structure will also change according to that direction. In order to analyze the effect of the seismic response of the example bridge according to the direction of incidence of ground motion, the acceleration response spectra (S_a-T1) corresponding to the 1-second period obtained for various angles of incidence were obtained. Using S_a-T1, 40 sets of orthogonal pairs of horizontal component seismic waves corresponding to 5 types of percentiles were generated. Seismic vulnerability analysis of the bridge piers was performed by obtaining the seismic response of an example bridge according to the direction of incidence of ground motion. By analyzing the seismic vulnerability analysis of seismic waves corresponding to five types of percentiles, it was found that the median value of the seismic vulnerability curve differs by about 1.2 to 2.6 times depending on the incident direction of the seismic wave. In other words, depending on the incidence direction of seismic waves, the degree of damage to the bridge structure can vary by about 1.2 to 2.6 times.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.540-549
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• 2024

Objective: This study investigated the feasibility and prognostic relevance of threshold-based quantification of myocardial delayed enhancement (MDE) on CT in patients with nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM). Materials and Methods: Forty-three patients with NIDCM (59.3 ± 17.1 years; 21 male) were included in the study and underwent cardiac CT and MRI. MDE was quantified manually and with a threshold-based quantification method using cutoffs of 2, 3, and 4 standard deviations (SDs) on three sets of CT images (100 kVp, 120 kVp, and 70 keV). Interobserver agreement in MDE quantification was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between CT and MRI was evaluated using the Bland-Altman method and the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC). Patients were followed up for the subsequent occurrence of the primary composite outcome, including cardiac death, heart transplantation, heart failure hospitalization, or appropriate use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate event-free survival according to MDE levels. Results: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was observed in 29 patients (67%, 29/43), and the mean LGE found with the 5-SD threshold was 4.1% ± 3.6%. The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV CT showed excellent interobserver agreement (ICC = 0.810) and the highest concordance with MRI (CCC = 0.803). This method also yielded the smallest bias with the narrowest range of 95% limits of agreement compared to MRI (bias, -0.119%; 95% limits of agreement, -4.216% to 3.978%). During a median follow-up of 1625 days (interquartile range, 712-1430 days), 10 patients (23%, 10/43) experienced the primary composite outcome. Event-free survival significantly differed between risk subgroups divided by the optimal MDE cutoff of 4.3% (log-rank P = 0.005). Conclusion: The 4-SD threshold on 70-keV monochromatic CT yielded results comparable to those of MRI for quantifying MDE as a marker of myocardial fibrosis, which showed prognostic value in patients with NIDCM.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.243-256
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• 2024

Objective: We aimed to investigate whether 2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT) can aid in evaluating the risk of malignancy in ampullary tumors detected by endoscopy. Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study analyzed 155 patients (79 male, 76 female; mean age, 65.7 ± 12.7 years) receiving 2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT for endoscopy-detected ampullary tumors 5-87 days (median, 7 days) after the diagnostic endoscopy between June 2007 and December 2020. The final diagnosis was made based on histopathological findings. The PET imaging parameters were compared with clinical data and endoscopic features. A model to predict the risk of malignancy, based on PET, endoscopy, and clinical findings, was generated and validated using multivariable logistic regression analysis and an additional bootstrapping method. The final model was compared with standard endoscopy for the diagnosis of ampullary cancer using the DeLong test. Results: The mean tumor size was 17.1 ± 7.7 mm. Sixty-four (41.3%) tumors were benign, and 91 (58.7%) were malignant. Univariable analysis found that ampullary neoplasms with a blood-pool corrected peak standardized uptake value in earlyphase scan (SUVe) ≥ 1.7 were more likely to be malignant (odds ratio [OR], 16.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 7.13-36.18; P < 0.001). Multivariable analysis identified the presence of jaundice (adjusted OR [aOR], 4.89; 95% CI, 1.80-13.33; P = 0.002), malignant traits in endoscopy (aOR, 6.80; 95% CI, 2.41-19.20; P < 0.001), SUVe ≥ 1.7 in PET (aOR, 5.43; 95% CI, 2.00-14.72; P < 0.001), and PET-detected nodal disease (aOR, 5.03; 95% CI, 1.16-21.86; P = 0.041) as independent predictors of malignancy. The model combining these four factors predicted ampullary cancers better than endoscopic diagnosis alone (area under the curve [AUC] and 95% CI: 0.925 [0.874-0.956] vs. 0.815 [0.732-0.873], P < 0.001). The model demonstrated an AUC of 0.921 (95% CI, 0.816-0.967) in candidates for endoscopic papillectomy. Conclusion: Adding 2-[¹⁸F]FDG PET/CT to endoscopy can improve the diagnosis of ampullary cancer and may help refine therapeutic decision-making, particularly when contemplating endoscopic papillectomy.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.465-475
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• 2023

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) for predicting hepatic fibrosis and native liver outcomes in patients with biliary atresia. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 33 consecutive patients with biliary atresia (median age, 8 weeks [interquartile range, 6-10 weeks]; male:female ratio, 15:18) from Severance Children's Hospital between May 2019 and February 2022. Preoperative (within 1 week from surgery) and immediate postoperative (on postoperative days [PODs] 3, 5, and 7) ultrasonographic findings were obtained and analyzed, including the SWE of the liver and spleen. Hepatic fibrosis, according to the METAVIR score at the time of Kasai portoenterostomy and native liver outcomes during postsurgical follow-up, were compared and correlated with imaging and laboratory findings. Poor outcomes were defined as intractable cholangitis or liver transplantation. The diagnostic performance of SWE in predicting METAVIR F3-F4 and poor hepatic outcomes was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. Results: All patients were analyzed without exclusion. Perioperative advanced hepatic fibrosis (F3-F4) was associated with older age and higher preoperative direct bilirubin and SWE values in the liver and spleen. Preoperative liver SWE showed a ROC area of 0.806 and 63.6% (7/11) sensitivity and 86.4% (19/22) specificity at a cutoff of 17.5 kPa for diagnosing F3-F4. The poor outcome group included five patients with intractable cholangitis and three undergoing liver transplantation who showed high postoperative liver SWE values. Liver SWE on PODs 3-7 showed ROC areas of 0.783-0.891 for predicting poor outcomes, and a cutoff value of 10.3 kPa for SWE on POD 3 had 100% (8/8) sensitivity and 73.9% (17/23) specificity. Conclusion: Preoperative liver SWE can predict advanced hepatic fibrosis, and immediate postoperative liver SWE can predict poor native liver outcomes in patients with biliary atresia.