• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.505-510
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• 2006

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism with cardiovascular disease risk factors. Methods : Out of a total of 608 middle-aged adults who visited local health centers, 424 subjects (104 male, 320 female) who had not been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or hyperlipidemia were included in this study. ACE genotypes were determined in all subjects by polymerase chain reaction methods. Results : Statistical differences in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels according to ACE genotype were observed using ANOVA (p<0.05), but no differences were found in other cardiovascular risk factors. Specifically, men with the DD and DI genotypes had significantly lower HDL cholesterol levels than those with the 11 genotype based on the LSD multi-comparison test (p<0.05). Conclusions : In men, the D-allele of the ACE I/D polymorphism was significantly associated with reduced HDL cholesterol levels. In the future, larger studies are needed to confirm this relationship between ACE I/D polymorphism and HDL cholesterol.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 2007

Objectives : Chronic infections with hepatitis B or C and alcoholic cirrhosis are three well-known major risk factors for liver cancer. Diabetes has also been suggested as a potential risk factor. However, the findings of previous studies have been controversial in terms of the causal association. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between serum glucose levels and liver cancer development in a Korean cohort. Methods : Thirty-six liver cancer cases were identified in the Korean Multi-Center Cancer Cohort (KMCC). Baseline information on lifestyle characteristics was obtained via questionnaire. Serum glucose levels were measured at the study's enrollment. Relative risks (RRs) were estimated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. The adjusting variables included age, gender, smoking history, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seropositivity. Results : The RRs of serum glucose for liver caner were 1.20 (95% CI = 0.48-2.99) for the category of 100 to 125 mg/dL of serum glucose and 2.77 (95% CI = 1.24-6.18) for the >126 mg/dL serum glucose category (both compared to the <100 mg/dL category). In a subgroup analysis, the RR of serum glucose among those who were both HBsAg seronegative and non-drinkers was 4.46 (95% CI = 1.09-18.28) for those with glucose levels >100 mg/dL. Conclusions : The results of this study suggest that a high level of serum glucose can increase liver cancer risk independently of hepatitis infection and drinking history in Koreans. This study implies that glucose intolerance may be an independent risk factor for liver cancer.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-176
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• 2011

Phytophthora katsurae is the fungus responsible for chestnut ink disease. The objectives of this study were to determine if a single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis of rDNA-ITS region, elongation factor 1 alpha gene and ${\beta}$-tubulin gene could be used for rapid identification and genetic diversity of P. katsurae, and to assess the potential use of the SSCP technique as a diagnostic tool for P. katsurae. Each regions amplified by PCR using primers designed to overlap the genus Phytophthora were characterized for the Phytophthora species. PCR products were denatured and electrophoresed for SSCP analysis. P. katsurae isolates showed an unique pattern in SSCP analysis and were easily distinguished from other Phytophthora species used as the control. This indicates that SSCP analysis is an useful technique for distinguishing Phytophthora species from genetically close relatives, and show that the SSCP analysis of each region is an efficient detection tool for P. katsurae. But PCR-SSCP analysis of single-gene may have difficulty in distinguishing P. katsurae from other Phytophthora species. Therefore, PCR-SSCP analysis of multi-genes can be useful for rapid and effective identification of P. katsurae.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.103-142
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• 2020

One of the next frontiers in structural wind engineering is the design of tall buildings using performance-based approaches. Currently, tall buildings are being designed using provisions in the building codes and standards to meet an acceptable level of public safety and serviceability. However, recent studies in wind and earthquake engineering have highlighted the conceptual and practical limitations of the code-oriented design methods. Performance-based wind design (PBWD) is the logical extension of the current wind design approaches to overcome these limitations. Towards the development of PBWD, in this paper, we systematically review the advances made in this field, highlight the research gaps, and provide a basis for future research. Initially, the anatomy of the Wind Loading Chain is presented, in which emphasis was given to the early works of Alan G. Davenport. Next, the current state of practice to design tall buildings for wind load is presented, and its limitations are highlighted. Following this, we critically review the state of development of PBWD. Our review on PBWD covers the existing design frameworks and studies conducted on the nonlinear response of structures under wind loads. Thereafter, to provide a basis for future research, the nonlinear response of simple yielding systems under long-duration turbulent wind loads is studied in two phases. The first phase investigates the issue of damage accumulation in conventional structural systems characterized by elastic-plastic, bilinear, pinching, degrading, and deteriorating hysteretic models. The second phase introduces methods to develop new performance objectives for PBWD based on joint peak and residual deformation demands. In this context, the utility of multi-variate demand modeling using copulas and kernel density estimation techniques is presented. This paper also presents joined fragility curves based on the results of incremental dynamic analysis. Subsequently, the efficiency of tuned mass dampers and self-centering systems in controlling the accumulation of damage in wind-excited structural systems are investigated. The role and the need for explicit modeling of uncertainties in PBWD are also discussed with a case study example. Lastly, two unified PBWD frameworks are proposed by adapting and revisiting the Wind Loading Chain. This paper concludes with a summary and a proposal for future research.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.143-156
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• 2010

Faced with an increase of malicious threats from the Internet as well as local area networks, many companies are considering deploying a security system. To help a decision maker select a suitable security tool, this paper proposed a three-step integrated framework using linear fuzzy regression (LFR) and physical programming (PP). First, based on the experts' estimations on security criteria, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and quality function deployment (QFD) are employed to specify an intermediate score for each criterion and the relationship among these criteria. Next, evaluation value of each criterion is computed by using LFR. Finally, a goal programming (GP) method is customized to obtain the most appropriate security tool for an organization, considering a tradeoff among the multi-objectives associated with quality, credibility and costs, utilizing the relative weights calculated by the physical programming weights (PPW) algorithm. A numerical example provided illustrates the advantages and contributions of this approach. Proposed approach is anticipated to help a decision maker select a suitable security tool by taking advantage of experts' experience, with noises eliminated, as well as the accuracy of mathematical optimization methods.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.213-219
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• 2017

Objectives: Early intensive interventions are very important for children with autism spectrum disorder. We examined the actual conditions of hospital-based early intensive interventions for autism spectrum disorder in Seoul, in order to help develop and implement an evidence-based early intensive intervention model for use in Korea. Methods: Nine hospital-based institutes running an early intensive intervention program for children with autism spectrum disorder responded to a questionnaire in September 2014. They provided a brief introduction to their program, explained its theoretical bases, and reported the number of children, their age, intervention time, duration and so on. Results: In the majority of the institutions, the intervention was provided for over 20 hours every week, and the theoretical bases included various applied behavioral analysis (ABA) methods and other therapies (language and occupational therapy). The therapist-child ratio ranged from 1:1 to 5:3. Various types of therapists were involved, including behavioral analysts, special education teachers and (or) language pathologists. There was only one clinic where the behavioral analyst was the main therapist. Usually, the intervention was terminated just before the child entered elementary school. The main merit of the hospital-based intervention in our survey was the effectiveness of the multi-disciplinary intervention plan and its other merits were the accuracy of the diagnosis, its ability to be combined with medicine, and so on. Conclusion: The current hospital-based early intensive intervention programs provide interventions for over 20 hours per week and employ multidisciplinary approaches. However, there are very few institutes for children with autism and very few intervention specialists and specialist education courses in the country. We need more educational programs for intervention therapists and have to try to develop policies which encourage the implementation of an evidence-based early intensive intervention program nationwide.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.32-50
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• 2010

The empirical objectives of this study include, firstly, to identify the underlying dimensions in food tourism, secondly, to identify and test the tourists' characteristic variables that explain participation in food tourism, and finally to examine the relationship between food tourism and the characteristic variables. Derived from existing food tourism literature, three underlying dimensions of activities in food tourism are given; (1) dining at restaurants serving local cuisine, (2) purchasing local food products, and (3) dining at high quality restaurants. Four valid conceptual variables were used to test whether there are significant relationships between them and food tourism variables. They are food neophobia, variety-seeking, hedonic consumption, and identity affirmation. Based on the survey responses from 164 tourists visiting Kanghwa-do, Namisum, and Yongjong-do, multi-regression analysis was employed. The findings suggested that there were negative relationships between food neophobia and all other dimensions in food tourism. In addition, variety seeking, identity affirmation, and hedonism have positive influence on the dimensions of food tourism. Therefore, utilizing various culinary cultures, food tourism activities with increasing the availability and branding of indigenous local dishes are strongly advised to the destinations concentrating in the food tourism market.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.2369-2378
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• 2012

Objectives: To assess knowledge of HPV and attitudes towards HPV vaccination among the general female population, government officials, and healthcare providers in China to assist the development of an effective national HPV vaccination program. Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiologic survey was conducted across 21 urban and rural sites in China using a short questionnaire. 763 government officials, 760 healthcare providers, and 11,681 women aged 15-59 years were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed using standard descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Knowledge of HPV among the general female population was low; only 24% had heard of HPV. Less than 20% of healthcare providers recognized sexually na$\ddot{i}$ve women as the most appropriate population for HPV vaccination. There was high acceptance of the HPV vaccine for all categories of respondents. Only 6% of women were willing to pay more than US $300 for the vaccine. Conclusions: Aggressive education is necessary to increase knowledge of HPV and its vaccine. Further proof of vaccine safety and efficacy and government subsidies combined with increased awareness could facilitate development and implementation of HPV vaccination in China.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.51-58
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• 2008

Objectives: To compare the contents of heavy metals, residual pesticides and sulfur dioxide before/after a decoction. Methods: The heavy metal contents before/after a decoction were measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer(ICP-AES) and mercury analyzer. In order to analyze pesticides in 5 samples we used simultaneous multi-residue analysis of pesticides by GC/ECD, which was followed by GC/MSD analysis to confirm the identity of the detected pesticide in each sample. In addition, the contents of sulfur dioxide($SO_2$) were performed by Monier-Williams distillation method. Results: 1. The mean values of heavy metal contents(mg/kg) for the samples were as follows: Galgeun-tang(before decoction-Pb; 0.793, Cd; 0.133, As; 0.016 and Hg; 0.005, after decoction-Pb; 0.033, Cd; 0.004, As; 0.002 and Hg; not detected), Gumiganghwal-tang(before decoction-Pb; 0.934, Cd; 0.197, As; 0.046 and Hg; 0.006, after decoction-Pb; 0.062, Cd; 0.007, As; 0.004 and Hg; 0.0001), Sosiho-tang(before decoction-Pb; 0.891, Cd; 0.134, As; 0.091 and Hg; 0.014, after decoction-Pb; 0.036, Cd; 0.002, As; 0.004 and Hg; not detected), Ojuck-san(before decoction-Pb; 0.907, Cd; 0.136, As; 0.084 and Hg; 0.007, after decoction-Pb; 0.074, Cd; 0.007, As; 0.011 and Hg; 0.0005) and Samsoeum(before decoction-Pb; 1.234, Cd; 0.154, As; 0.016 and Hg; 0.007, after decoction-Pb; 0.094, Cd; 0.006, As; 0.002 and Hg; 0.001). 2. Contents(mg/kg) of residual pesticides before/after a decoction in all samples were not detected. 3. Contents(mg/kg) of sulfur dioxide($SO_2$) before a decoction in Galgeun-tang, Gumiganghwal-tang, Sosiho-tang, Ojuck-san and Samsoeum exhibited 1.2, 3.4, 11.1, 12.0 and 5.7, respectively. However, contents of sulfur dioxide after a decoction in all samples were not detected. Conclusions: These results will be used to establish a criterion of heavy metals, residual pesticides and sulfur dioxide.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.41-47
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• 2015

Objectives : Due to the morphological similarity of the pericarp and description of multi-species in National Pharmacopoeia of Korea and China, the Zanthoxylum Pericarpium is difficult to authenticate adulterant in species levels. Therefore, we introduced the sequence analysis of DNA barcode and identification of single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) to establish a reliable tool for the distinction of Zanthoxylum Pericarpium from its adulterants. Methods : To analyze DNA barcode region, genomic DNA was extracted from twenty-four specimens of authentic Zanthoxylum species and inauthentic adulterant and the individual internal transcribed spacer regions (rDNA-ITS and ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene were amplified using ITS1, ITS2-S2F, and ITS4 primer. For identification of species-specific sequences, a comparative analysis was performed using entire DNA barcode sequences. Results : In comparison of four Zanthoxylum ITS2 sequences, we identified 16, 4, 6, and 4 distinct species-specific nucleotides enough to distinguish Z. schinifolium, Z. bungeanum, Z. piperitum, and Z. simulans, respectively. The sequence differences were available genetic marker to discriminate four species. Futhermore, phylogenetic relationship revealed a clear classification between different Zanthoxylum species showing 4 different clusters. These results indicated that comparative analysis of ITS2 DNA barcode was an useful genetic marker to authenticate Zanthoxylum Pericarpium in species levels. Conclusions : The marker nucleotides, enough to distinguish Z. schinifolium, Z. piperitum, Z. bungeanum, and Z. simulans, were obtained at 30 SNP marker nucleotides from ITS2 sequences. These differences could be used to authenticate official Zanthoxylum Pericarpium from its adulterants as well as discriminating each four species.