• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.44-50
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• 2006

Puroose: This study evaluated the late rectal complications in cervix cancer patients following treatment with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and high dose rate intracavitary radiation (HDR ICR). The factors affecting the risk of developing late rectal complications and its incidence were analyzed and discussed. Materials and Methods: The records of 105 patients with cervix cancer who were treated with radical radiotherapy using HDR ICR between July, 1995 and December, 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. The median dose of EBRT was 50.4Gy $(41.4{\sim}56.4 Gy)$ with a daily fraction size of 1.8Gy. A total of $5{\sim}7$ (median: 6) fractions of HDR ICR were given twice weekly with a fraction size of $4{\sim}5 Gy$ (median: 4Gy) to A point using an Ir (Iridium)-192 source. The median dose of ICR was 24 Gy $(20{\sim}35 Gy)$. During HDR ICR, the rectal dose was measured in vivo by a semiconductor dosimeter. The median follow-up period was 32 months, ranging from 5 to 84 months. Results: Of the 105 patients, 12 patients (11%) developed late rectal complications: 7 patients with grade 1 or 2, 4 patients with grade 3 and 1 patient with grade 4. Rectal bleeding was the most frequent chief complaint. The complications usually began to occur $5{\sim}32$ (median: 12) months after the completion of radiotherapy. Multivariate analysis revealed that the measured cumulative rectal BED over 115 Gy3 (Deq over 69 Gy) and the depth (D) of a 5 Gy isodose volume more than 50 mm were the independent predictors for late rectal complications. Conclusion: With evaluating the cumulative rectal BED and the depth of a 5 Gy isodose volume as predictors, we can individualize treatment planning to reduce the probability of late rectal complications.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.265-270
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• 2004

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of postoperative radiation therapy in cervical cancer patients and define the prognostic factors to affect survival rates. Materials and Methods: Eighty one patients with cervical cancer who were treated with postoperative radiation therapy following surgery at our institution between May 1992 and April 2000 were retrospectivelv analyzed. Forty two patients had stage IB disease, 17 had stage IIA disease, and remaining 22 had stage IIB disease, respectively. Histological examination revealed 76 squamous cell carcinoma and 5 adenocarclnoma. Sixty one patients were noted to have stromal invasion greater than 8 mm and 20 patients were noted to have stromal invasion 7 mm or less. Sixteen patients had parametrial invasion and 65 patients did not. Positive vaginal resection margin was documented in only eight patients and positive lymphovascular invasion was in twelve patients. All of the patients were treated with external beam radiation therapy alone. Majority of the patients were treated with 4 field brick technique to encompass whole pelvis. Total of 5,500 cGy was delivered to the primary surgical tumor bed. Minimum follow up period was four years. Results: Actuarial disease free survival rates for entire group of the patients were 95% and 89% at 2 and 5 years, respectively Five year disease free survival rates for patients with stage IB, IIA, and IIB disease were 97%, 87% and 70%, respectivelv. Local recurrences were documented in 5 patients. Cumulative local failure rate at 3 years was 6% Five year disease free survival rates for patients with stromal invasion greater than 8 mm and 7 mm or less were 88% and 92%, respectively (p>0.05). Five year disease free survival rate for patients with parametrial invasion was significantly lower than those with no invasion (72% vs 92%, p<0.05). Also there was significantly lower survival in patients with positive vaginal resection margin, compared with patients with negative resection margin (64% vs 94%, p<0.05). However, lymphovascular invasion was not a statistically significant prognostic factor Parametrial invasion and positive surgical resection margins were noted to be significant prognostic factors. Conclusions: Postoperative radiation therapy appears to be beneficial in controlling local disease in cervical cancer patients with high pathologic risk factors. Parametrial invasion and positive resection margins were noted to be significant prognostic factors to affect survival and more effective treatment should be investigated in these patients.

• Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.190-197
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• 2001

Noise-induced hearing loss(NIHL) was the highest rate (43.5%~58.5% from 1996 to 1998) of positive findings through specific medical program in Korea. There were much more NIHL at workers of automobile manufacturing factories than other manufacturing factories. The specific aim of the present study was to determine the noise exposure of automobile press lines, according to their job titles, press line types(auto, semiauto), dosimeter parameters setting. There were a total 11 press lines sampled at a automobile manufacturing company. Among those press lines, 10 press lines were autolines with acoustic enclosure, one semiauto press line was no aucostic enclosure Noise exposure data were sampled for an work shift using noise dosimeter, which recorded both time-weighted average(TWA) and 1-min average. The mean OSHA TWA(Korea TWA with threshold 90) was $80.7dB(A){\pm}4.7dB(A)$ for leader, $82.8dB(A{\pm}4.5dB(A)$ for pallette man, $76.7dB(A){\pm}4.3dB(A)$ for press operators, $76.6dB(A){\pm}5.6dB(A)$ for crane operators, $77.1dB(A){\pm}2.8dB(A)$ for forklift drivers, whereas the mean NIOSH TWA was $88.9dB(A){\pm}1.7dB(A)$ for leader, $89.6dB(A){\pm}2.1dB(A)$ for pallette man, $86.7dB(A){\pm}1.8dB(A)$ for press operators, $88.5dB(A){\pm}2.0dB(A)$ for crane operators, $87.7dB(A){\pm}1.0dB(A)$ for forklift drivers. While L10 for NIOSH TWA samples was 84.8 dB(A) ~ 87.3 dB(A), L10 for OSHA TWA samples was 69.5 dB(A) ~ 77.4 dB(A). L10 means that the TWA for 90% of the samples exceeded L10. Among OSHA TWA(Korea TWA with threshold 90) samples for pallette man, 7.7 % exceeded 90 dB(A), the OSHA permissible exposure level, but OSHA TWA samples for the other job titles didn't. Among NIOSH TWA samples, the samples over 85 dB(A), the NIOSH recommended exposure limit, was 100% (leaders), 83.3 %(operators), 97.4%(palletteman), 100%(forklift drivers), 91.7 %(crane operator). The results of One-way random effects analysis of variance models shows that the difference between job titles was significant by OSHA TWA(p<0.05), but not significant by NIOSH TWA(p>0.05). NIOSH TWA samples were significantly higher than OSHA TWA samples(P<0.05). Regression analysis was used to obtain relationships between OSHA TWA samples and NIOSH TWA samples. In this case the coefficient of determination = 0.90, which shows the high degree association between two methods. Regression equation, NIOSH TWA = 0.552 * OSHA TWA + 42.13 dB(A), shows that if OSHA TWA is known, NIOSH TWA can be predicted by the equation. The mean TWA difference between threshold 80 dBA and 90 dBA was significant(p<0.01). While the TWA noise exposures were 7.7% above the Korea(OSHA) PEL, they were more than 83.3% over NIOSH REL. Automobile workers were exposed to noise level that could be potentially damaging to their hearing. It found that there is approximately 25% excess risk of hearing loss even if a worker is protected to the PEL in according to NIOSH study.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.104-110
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• 2013

This study assessed hazards at the harvest stage of strawberry farms which may cause risk to humans. A total of 216 samples were collected from 6 strawberry farms (soil culture farms: A, B, C; nutriculture farms: D, E, F) located in Western Gyeongnam. The collected samples were subjected for sanitary indicator bacteria (aerobic plate count, coliforms and Escherichia coli), major foodborne pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus), and fungi. The levels of APC and coliform in the soil culture farms were 1.0-6.9 and 0.4-4.6 log CFU/g (leaf, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$), respectively. The samples obtained from the nutriculture farms were contaminated with the levels of 0.8-4.9, and 0.2-2.6 log CFU/g (leaf, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$) of APC and coliform. However, E. coli was not detected in any samples. In major foodborne pathogens, S. aureus was detected at the level of ${\leq}$3.3 log CFU/hand in workers' hand samples and B. cereus was detected at the levels of 0.4-4.1 log CFU/g (hand or 100 $cm^2$) in soil, plants and workers' hygiene. L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. were not detected. Fungi were detected at the levels of 1.0-5.2 and 0.2-4.4 log CFU/g (leaf, mL, hand or 100 $cm^2$) in soil culture and nutriculture farms, respectively.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to isolate Escherichia coli from flies and to assess pathogenic genes and antibiotic resistance of the isolates. A total of 188 flies were captured in agricultural environment including fruits farms (n = 19), fermented soybean farms (n = 9), municipal waste (n = 46), livestock farms (n = 66), slaughterhouses (n = 38), and manure ground (n = 10). E. coli isolates of captured flies were tested for pathogenic gene and antibiotic resistance using PCR methods and VITEK2 systems. As a result, E. coli from 63% (119/188) of the captured flies has been detected, and the detection rate of E. coli was the highest (89%, 31/34) in flies captured at particular slaughterhouse. Of the 34 isolates, 94% (32/34) were pathogenic gene (ST gene) positive. Twenty-six percent (31/119) of the E. coli isolates were observed being resistant to one or more antibiotics. Markedly, one of E. coli isolates from Livestock farms was resistant to 7 antibiotics including ampicillin, ampicillin/sulbactam, cefazolin, cefotaxime, gentamicin, levofloxacin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. In addition, it was ESBL positive. The results of the present study may suggest a risk of transmission of pathogenic and antimicrobial resistant bacteria from flies to livestock environment Therefore, it may need to prevent introducing flies into the agricultural production environment for safe food production.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.487-495
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• 1996

The consumer perception on health and food habit, the experience of health food use and the discrimination between health food and drug of Korean consumer were surveyed by using a questionnaire containing 20 items in order to obtain the basic data for the assessment of the benefit and risk of health foods in Korea. A total of 1,000 people over 20 years of age living in Seoul and the vicinities were interviewed and asked to fill out the questionnaire during the period from the October 1995 to the February 1996. Among the 882 answers collected 23 was incomplete data, and 859 answers were used for the statistical analysis by using SAS program. The survey revealed a strong interest of the consumer on health food by showing that more than a half of the subjects (58.8%) had the experience of actual use of health food, and 68.2% believed the effectiveness. What the consumer expect most from health food was to have beneficial effect to maintain overall health condition (59.8%), and the most negative aspect of health food was the overstatement on the effectiveness by the producers (52.1%). The most important source of information for the purchase of health food was the suggestion of friends and relatives (30.6%). Among the health foods registered and regulated by the food law, royal jelly (22.7%), squalene (16.0%), refined fish oil (15.1%), lactic acid bacteria (10.6%) and aloe (8.8%) were relatively well aware. Although 84% of the subjects perceived that health food is different from drug or traditional medicine, the largest percentage of the subject selected ginseng as the most well known type of health food (22.7%) as well as the most well known drug (or traditional medicine) (41.7%). Ginseng was also chosen as the most frequently used health food (17.0%), and vitamin tablets the third (13.0%). The vague definition of health food and unambiguous discrimination of it from medicine by the consumers were problematic for the correct use and reasonable purchasing behavior. The clear definition and proper regulation on the manufacture and distribution of health food, more strict control of labelling and advertisement, and a wide consumer education on health food were recommended.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.475-485
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• 1996

The consumer perception on health and food habit, the experience of health food use and the discrimination between health food and drug of Korean consumer were surveyed by using a questionnaire containing 15 items in order to obtain the basic data for the assessment of the benefit and risk of health foods in Korea. A total of 1,000 people over 20 years of age living in Seoul and the vicinities were interviewed and asked to fill out the questionnaire during the period from the October 1995 to the February 1996. Among the 882 answers collected, 23 was incomplete data, and 859 answers were used for the statistical analysis by using SAS program. The perception of Korean consumer on health and food habit indicated that food habit was considered the most important factor for the maintenance of health, as appeared in 39.8% of the subjects, among which 93.9 % believed that food habit could cause disease, and 97.1% believed that disease could be cured by changing food habit. The most worried disease was cancer (30.6%), degenerative diseases (14.1%), diseases by accident (12.6%) and obesity (10.0%). The disease which likely to be caused by food habit was diabetes (35.6%), obesity (22.4%), high blood pressure (12.8%), constipation (12.7%) and cancer (7.9%). The disease which was believed to be cured by changing food habit was diabetes (40.1%), obesity (25.9%), constipation (16.5%), high blood pressure (7.4%) and cancer (3.3%). It appeared that the people had a perception that food habit was highly related with diabetes and obesity, but less with cancer which was mostly worried.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.113-123
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• 2014

Purpose: Vitamin D has been known to play an important role in the central nervous system and brain functions in the human body, and cumulative evidence has shown that vitamin D deficiency might be linked with various mental health conditions. Epidemiologic studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency may be associated with higher risk of depression in the US and European populations. However, limited information is available regarding the association between vitamin D status and depression in the Korean population. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between vitamin D levels and prevalence of depression. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using nationally representative data from the 2008-2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from which serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were available. A total of 18,735 adults who had available demographic, dietary, and lifestyle information were included in our analysis. We defined "depression" with a diagnosis by a physician. "Depressed condition" was defined as having feelings of sadness or depression without diagnosis by a physician. Results: The prevalence of depression was 1.63% and 5.43% in Korean men and women, respectively; 12.5% of men and 26.1% of women were defined as the group having depressed conditions. In multivariate logistic regression models, no significant associations were observed between vitamin D status and prevalence of depression or depressed conditions in Korean men and women. Conclusion: We found no association between vitamin D insufficiency and depression/depressed conditions in Korean adults. Future large prospective studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm this relationship.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.5
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• pp.418-426
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• 2013

This study was conducted in order to investigate the association between picky eating behaviors of preschool children and growth outcomes. In this study, picky eating behaviors were defined as containing four constructs of 'eating a small amount (ES),' 'neophoic behavior (NB),' 'refusal of specific food groups (RF),' and 'preference for specific food-preparation methods (PP).' A 7-point scale was used for the multi-item questionnaire, which consisted of 21 items (three items for ES, two items for NB, nine items for RF, and seven items for PP), in order to evaluate picky eating behaviors of children. Subjects were recruited among visitors at a medical clinic in Seoul. A total of 150 self-administered survey responses from parents of preschool children were analyzed in order to investigate the association between picky eating behaviors of preschool children and growth outcomes. Height for age (HFA) and weight for height (WFH) z-scores were used for assessment of preschool children's growth. The prevalence of ES, NB, RF, and PP was 44%, 57%, 73%, and 53%, respectively. Children with ES had lower HFA (p < 0.05) and WFH (p < 0.0001) than those without ES, while children with NB, RF, or PP had HFA and WFH were similar to their counterparts. The mean HFA z-score of children with ES was less than 0 (p < 0.05) and the mean WFH z-scores of children with ES, NB, RF, or PP were less than 0 (p < 0.05). According to the study results, related growth outcome differed depending on constructs of picky eating behaviors. In particular, picky eating of ES showed a risk of faltering height growth in preschool children. Further comprehensive studies on the reason for ES and intervention approach is warranted.

• Journal of The Korean Ophthalmological Society
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• v.58 no.6
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• pp.706-711
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• 2017

Purpose: To analyze blinking patterns when watching an ultra-high definition (UHD) television and to compare the results between normal eyes and dry eyes. Methods: A total of 59 participants aged from 13 to 69 years were instructed to watch a colorful and dynamic video on a UHD television for 10 minutes. Before and after watching the UHD television, we measured the best corrected visual acuities, autorefraction, tear-break-up-time, degree of corneal erosion and conjunctival hyperemia via slit lamp biomicroscopy. In addition, questionnaires for the evaluation of eye fatigue and symptoms of a dry eye were completed. The definition of dry eye syndrome was that the tear-break-up-time of one of the eyes was less than 5 seconds, conjunctival injection, or marked corneal erosion. The number of blinks and the duration of blinking were both measured and analyzed at the early and late phases of video-watching. Results: After watching the UHD television in the normal eye group, the tear-break-up-time was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) and the degree of corneal erosion was significantly increased (p = 0.023). However, the subjective symptoms of participants were not aggravated (p = 0.080). There were no significant differences in blinking patterns in the dry eye group. On the other hand, in the normal eye group, the mean blinking time was significantly increased (p = 0.030). Conclusions: Watching an UHD television changes the tear-break-up-time, degree of corneal erosion, and blinking pattern in normal eyes, which may increase the risk of dry eye syndrome.