• Proceedings of the Korean Radioactive Waste Society Conference
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• 2004.06a
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• pp.257-258
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• 2004

The dose from radionuclides released from high-level radioactive waste (HLW) glasses as they corrode must be taken into account when assessing the performance of a disposal system. In the performance assessment (PA) calculations conducted for the proposed Yucca Mountain, Nevada, disposal system, the release of radionuclides is conservatively assumed to occur at the same rate the glass matrix dissolves. A simple model was developed to calculate the glass dissolution rate of HLW glasses in these PA calculations [1]. For the PA calculations that were conducted for Site Recommendation, it was necessary to identify ranges of parameter values that bounded the dissolution rates of the wide range of HLW glass compositions that will be disposed. The values and ranges of the model parameters for the pH and temperature dependencies were extracted from the results of SPFT, static leach tests, and Soxhlet tests available in the literature. Static leach tests were conducted with a range of glass compositions to measure values for the glass composition parameter. The glass dissolution rate depends on temperature, pH, and the compositions of the glass and solution, The dissolution rate is calculated using Eq. 1: $rate{\;}={\;}k_{o}10^{(ph){\eta})}{\cdot}e^{(-Ea/RT)}{\cdot}(1-Q/K){\;}+{\;}k_{long}$ where $k_{0},\;{\eta}$ and Eaare the parameters for glass composition, pH, $\eta$ and temperature dependence, respectively, and R is the gas constant. The term (1-Q/K) is the affinity term, where Q is the ion activity product of the solution and K is the pseudo-equilibrium constant for the glass. Values of the parameters $k_{0},\;{\eta}\;and\;E_{a}$ are the parameters for glass composition, pH, and temperature dependence, respectively, and R is the gas constant. The term (1-Q/C) is the affinity term, where Q is the ion activity product of the solution and K is the pseudo-equilibrium constant for the glass. Values of the parameters $k_0$, and Ea are determined under test conditions where the value of Q is maintained near zero, so that the value of the affinity term remains near 1. The dissolution rate under conditions in which the value of the affinity term is near 1 is referred to as the forward rate. This is the highest dissolution rate that can occur at a particular pH and temperature. The value of the parameter K is determined from experiments in which the value of the ion activity product approaches the value of K. This results in a decrease in the value of the affinity term and the dissolution rate. The highly dilute solutions required to measure the forward rate and extract values for $k_0$, $\eta$, and Ea can be maintained by conducting dynamic tests in which the test solution is removed from the reaction cell and replaced with fresh solution. In the single-pass flow-through (PFT) test method, this is done by continuously pumping the test solution through the reaction cell. Alternatively, static tests can be conducted with sufficient solution volume that the solution concentrations of dissolved glass components do not increase significantly during the test. Both the SPFT and static tests can ve conducted for a wide range of pH values and temperatures. Both static and SPFt tests have short-comings. the SPFT test requires analysis of several solutions (typically 6-10) at each of several flow rates to determine the glass dissolution rate at each pH and temperature. As will be shown, the rate measured in an SPFt test depends on the solution flow rate. The solutions in static tests will eventually become concentrated enough to affect the dissolution rate. In both the SPFt and static test methods. a compromise is required between the need to minimize the effects of dissolved components on the dissolution rate and the need to attain solution concentrations that are high enough to analyze. In the paper, we compare the results of static leach tests and SPFT tests conducted with simple 5-component glass to confirm the equivalence of SPFT tests and static tests conducted with pH buffer solutions. Tests were conducted over the range pH values that are most relevant for waste glass disssolution in a disposal system. The glass and temperature used in the tests were selected to allow direct comparison with SPFT tests conducted previously. The ability to measure parameter values with more than one test method and an understanding of how the rate measured in each test is affected by various test parameters provides added confidence to the measured values. The dissolution rate of a simple 5-component glass was measured at pH values of 6.2, 8.3, and 9.6 and $70^{\circ}C$ using static tests and single-pass flow-through (SPFT) tests. Similar rates were measured with the two methods. However, the measured rates are about 10X higher than the rates measured previously for a glass having the same composition using an SPFT test method. Differences are attributed to effects of the solution flow rate on the glass dissolution reate and how the specific surface area of crushed glass is estimated. This comparison indicates the need to standardize the SPFT test procedure.

• Korean Journal of Crystallography
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.9-22
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• 1992

Two crystal structures of bromine sorption complexes of vacuum dehydrated Cd(ll)-exchanged zeolite A have been determined by single-crystal xray diffraction techniques in the cubic space group Pm3m at 21(1) ℃. Both crystals were ion exchanged in flowing streams of exchange solution In which mole ratio of Cd(NO3)2 and Cd(OOCCH3)B was 1:1 with a total concentration of 0.05 M. First crystal was dehydrated at 450℃ and 2 ×10-6 Torr for two days. Second crystal was dehydrated at 650℃ and 2 ×10-6 Torr for two days. Both crystals were then treated with 160 Torr for two days. Second crystal was dehydrated at 650℃ and 2 × 10-6 Torr for two days. Both crystals were then treated with 160 Torr of zeolitically dried bromine vapor at 24℃. Full-matrix least-squares refinements of toe first crystal(a: 12.250(1) A )· and the second crystal(a: 12.204(2) A ) have contecoed to final error indices, Rl:0.075 and Ra:0.079 with 212 reflections, and Rl : 0.089 and Ra = 0.078 with 128 reflections, respectively, for which I >3σ(I). Crystallographic analyses of both crystals show that six Cd2+ ions are located on two different threefold axes of unit cell associated with 6-ring oxygens. Each 4.5 Cd2+ ion is recessed ca.0. 441 A Into the large cavity to complex either with Brsor with Br3from the (111) plane of 0(3), whereas each 1.5 Cd2+ ions recessed ca. 0.678 A into we sodalite unit. Approximately 1.5 Br5-and 1.5 Br3-ions are sorbed per unit cell. Each Brsion interacts and stabilized by complexing with two Cd2+ ions and framework oxide ions, while each Br3ion interacts with one Cd2+ ion and framework oxide ions. Because of residual water molecules the following reactions may be occurred inside of zeolite cavity:

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.53-67
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• 2009

For the last decades, service quality has been studied as one of the most important tools for a service company to compete with the other companies. Based on these past researches, it has been agreed that the service quality is a basic and powerful tool to create the competitive advantage. Due to similar reason, many service marketing practitioners have been also focused on the service quality to retain the existing consumers and collect the new consumers. However, service quality is subjectively perceived by individual consumers. Consumer evaluation of service quality can be different from each other. Especially consumers with one life-style may evaluate the service quality differently from the consumers with the other life-styles. Therefore we need to know whether there are differences in service quality perception on the categories of life-style. Life-style refers to a distinctive mode of living in its aggregate and broadest sense. It embodies the patterns that were developed and emerged from the dynamics of living in a society. Since the concept of life-style and its relationship to marketing was introduced in 1963 by William Lazer, methods of measuring the life-style and their application have been developed. Life-style has been usually used to segment the marketplace because it offers marketers a unique and important view of the market. When Life-style is combined with clustering methods, life-style segmentation can generate identifiable whole persons rather than isolated fragment. Life-style segmentation begins with people instead of products and classifies them into different life-style types, each characterized by a unique style of living based on a wide range of activities, interests, and opinions(Plummer, 1974). In this study we applies the life-style segmentation based on the AIO(Activities, Interests, and Opinions) to the consumers of the large discount stores. In Korea, the large discount store market has entered into maturity stage so that the market differentiation strategy is becoming a more critical issue to the marketing practitioners. One of the most important tools to differentiate from the competitors in large discount store market is continuously to provide service of better quality than competitors. This study tries to find answers about the following questions: 1) How can we categorize the consumer life-styles in the large discount store? 2) What are the characteristics of the categorized groups? 3) Are there any differences in service quality perception among the consumers with different life-styles 4) Are there any differences in consumer behavior among them in the large discount store? For the purpose, we collected survey data from consumers and analyzed the data with the SPSS package where we had $X^2$-test, factor analysis, ANOVA, MANOVA, and cluster analysis. The survey was made during one month in the April of 2008. Among the collected 306 copies of questionnaires, 281 copies were chosen as the effective samples for empirical analysis except 25 copies with wrong responses. To identify the life-style patterns, we used the measures employed by Kim and Kwon(1999), where 44 items on a seven-point scale were used to measure factors of the life-style patterns. The Principal Component Method was used for factor extraction, and the VARIMAX orthogonal factor rotation was employed. The 7 items showing low factor loading were eliminated. The results of the factor analysis suggested that nine factors of the life-style patterns were identified as follows: 1) the equality-of-sexes and pursuit-of-independence tendency 2) self-management tendency 3) sociable tendency 4) self-display tendency 5) degree of a dilettante life 6) pursuit-of-information tendency 7) bargain hunter tendency 8) TV preference tendency 9) pursuit-of-leisure tendency. Next, after the K-means cluster analysis was performed with nine factors of the life-style patterns, the life-styles of the respondents were classified into four groups which are named as the 'progressive practicality-oriented group', 'positive success-oriented group', 'sociable ostentation-oriented group', 'stable conservation-oriented group'. The analysis results for usage behavior between the market segments showed statistically significant differences in the frequency of usage, duration time in the store, consumer satisfaction, and loyalty. Also, we tried to investigate whether the large discount store consumers differently perceive the quality of service based upon the types of life-style. To measure the service quality of large discount store, we adapted several measurement models measuring the service quality such as SERVPERF, BCP, R-SERVPERF, R-BCP. MANOVA and One-Way ANOVA were performed to confirm the difference in service quality perception based on the market segments. The results have also shown significant differences between life-style types in service quality perception. These findings show that the large discount store marketers should consider consumer life-style as one of the most important market segments for marketing and understand the difference in service quality perception between life-style types. Our findings give important implications to marketers of large discount stores as well as life-style researchers. First, this study showed there were significant differences in consumer's service quality perception and usage behavior between the types of life-style. It provides evidence that the life-style approach can be a important basis in segmenting the large discount store market and will make consumers perceive the service quality high. Second, most previous researches on service quality have been in aggregate level. However, our results imply that the future research on service quality have to focus on segment level.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.522-528
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• 2003

The purpose of this study is to inquire into molecular epidemiological characteristics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus. For this study, 120 strains(120 strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus sampled from diarrhea patients) were examined and analyzed for biochemical characteristics, TDH (thermostable direct hemolysin) antibiotics sensitivity and detection of toxR, gyrE, tdh, and tds gents. G-S PCR (Group Specific Polymerase), PFGE (Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoriesis) methods were performed on the materials from patients were results. 1 Vibrio parahaemolyticus didn't grow in 0% density of NaCl, but the fact was found that those grew in 8% density of NaCl. 2. O：K serotypes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus was turned up in domestic patients was 17 types. Among those O3：K6 was the most, it was 68.3%. 3. In 18 kinds of antibiotic tests resistant against Ampicillin, Ticacillin was comparatively high. the case of resistant against Ampicillin, Ticacillin, Vancomycin at the multiple resistant was 52.5%. 4. Toxin gene tdh had only 109 strains among 120 ones isolated from patients held the genes of 199bp size, and 11 strains was negativity 5. In the test of Kanagawa toxic productivity, 107 strains among strains isolated from patients appeared to be positivity reaction 6. The strain that held trh toxin was only 3, and those among test strains had the genes of 250bp size and that had tdh, trh genes at a time were 3 strains, and TDH toxic productivity of those were 16 times, and it was weak. 7. Group Specific-PCR appeared to be useful in the confirmation of O3:K6 serotype interrelations. 8. Three strains which showed difference of 7 DNA sequence even in the same serotype were detected by the result of analyzing the regular gene, toxRS DNA sequence. These strains are differ from general strains which carry infection easily. 9. These mutual dose epidemiological relations were classified into smaller-parts through PFGE method. As a result of such classify, 3 findings were found. V. parahaemolyticus sampled from diarrhea patients were classified into 3 types. And third, the result obtained through PFGE method can be used as a useful tool in a point of molecular-epidemiological view.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.1285-1292
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• 2009

Large single crystals of zeolite, |$Na_{75}$|[$Si_{117}Al_{75}O_{384}$]-FAU (Na-Y, Si/Al = 1.56), were synthesized from gels with composition of 3.58Si$O_2$ : 2.08NaAl$O_2$ : 7.59NaOH : 455$H_2$O : 5.06TEA : 2.23TCl. One of these, a colorless single-crystal was ion exchanged by allowing aqueous 0.02 M CsOH to flow past the crystal at 293 K for 3 days, followed by dehydration at 673 K and 1 ${\times}\;10^{-6}$ Torr for 2 days. The crystal structure of fully dehydrated partially $Cs^+$-exchanged zeolite Y, |$Cs_{45}Na_{30}$|[$Si_{117}Al_{75}O_{384}$]-FAU per unit cell (a = 24.9080(10) $\AA$) was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique in the cubic space group Fd $\overline{3}$ m at 294(1) K. The structure was refined using all intensities to the final error indices (using only the 877 reflections with $F_o\;>\;4{\sigma}(F_o))\;R_1$ = 0.0966 (Based on F) and $R_2\;=\;0.2641\;(Based\;on\;F^2$). About forty-five $Cs^+$ ions per unit cell are found at six different crystallographic sites. The 2 $Cs^+$ ions occupied at site I, at the centers of double 6-ring (D6Rs, Cs-O = 2.774(10) $\AA$ and O-Cs-O = 88.9(3) and 91.1(3)$^o$). Two $Cs^+$ ions are found at site I’ in the sodalite cavity; the $Cs^+$ ions were recessed 2.05 $\AA$ into the sodalite cavity from their 3-oxygen plane (Cs-O = 3.05(3) $\AA$ and O-Cs-O = 77.4(13)$^o$). Site-II’ positions (opposite single 6-rings in the sodalite cage) are occupied by 7 $Cs^+$ ions, each of which extends 2.04 $\AA$ into the sodalite cage from its 3-oxygen plane (Cs-O = 3.067(11) $\AA$ and O-Cs-O = 80.1(3)$^o$). The 26 $Cs^+$ ions are nearly three-quarters filled at site II in the supercage, being recessed 2.34 $\AA$ into the supercage (Cs-O = 3.273(8) $\AA$ and O-Cs-O = 74.3(3)$^o$). The 4 $Cs^+$ ions are found at site III deep in the supercage (Cs-O = 3.321(19) and 3.08(3) $\AA$), and 4 $Cs^+$ ions at another site III’ (Cs-O = 2.87(4) and 3.38(4) $\AA$). About 30 $Na^+$ ions per unit cell are found at one crystallographic site; The $Na^+$ ions are located at site I’ in the sodalite cavity opposite double 6-rings (Na-O = 2.578(11) $\AA$ and O-Na-O = 97.8(4)$^o$).

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.193-202
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• 2012

'Joseong', a winter forage triticale cultivar (X Triticosecale Wittmack), was developed by the breeding team at the Department of Rice and Winter Cereal Crop, NICS, RDA in 2010. The cultivar 'Joseong' was selected from the cross FAHAD_5/RHINO1R.1D 5+10 5D'5B'//FAHAD_5 by CIMMYT (Mexico) in 1992. Subsequent generations were handled in pedigree selection program at Mexico from 1993 to 1998, and a line 'CTSS92Y-A-4Y-0M-5Y-0B' was selected for earliness and good agronomic characteristics. After preliminary and advance yield test in Korea for 2 years, the line designated as a line name of 'Iksan26'. The 'Iksan26' was subsequently evaluated for earliness and forage yield in 7 different locations such as Jeju, Iksan, Cheongwon, Yesan, Naju, Daegu, and Jinju from 2008 to 2010 and finally named as 'Joseong'. The cultivar 'Joseong' has characteristics of dark green leaf, yellow culm and spike, and large grain of yellowish brown color. The heading date of cultivar 'Joseong' was April 24, which was 5 days earlier than that of check cultivar 'Shinyoung'. It showed better tolerance or resistance to lodging, wet injury, powdery mildew, and leaf rust than those of the check cultivar 'Shinyoung'. The average forage dry matter yield of cultivar 'Joseong' at milk-ripe stage was 14.5 MT $ha^{-1}$, which was lower than 16.5 MT $ha^{-1}$ of the check cultivar 'Shinyoung'. The silage quality of 'Joseong' (5.3%) was lower to the check cultivar 'Shinyoung' (6.0%) in crude protein content, while was 2.1% superior to the check cultivar 'Shinyoung' (61.9%) in TDN (total digestible nutrients). It showed 5.1 MT $ha^{-1}$ of grain yield, which was 40% higher than that of the check cultivar 'Shinyoung' (3.65 MT $ha^{-1}$). This cultivar is recommended for fall sowing crop in the area where daily minimum mean temperatures are averaged higher than $-10^{\circ}C$ in January, and as a winter crop using whole crop forage before planting rice in around Korea.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 1998

Purpose : This study is to evaluate the efficacy of small bowel displacement system(SBDS) in post-operative pelvic radiation therapy(RT) of rectal cancer patients by measurement of small bowel volume included in the radiation fields receiving therapeutic dose. Materials and Method : Ten consecutive new rectal cancer patients referred to the department of Radiation Oncology of Samsung Medical Center in May of 1997 were included in this study. All patients were asked to drink $Castrographin^(R)$ before simulation and were laid prone for conventional simulation and CT scans with and without SBDS. The volume of opacified small bowel on CT scans, which was to be included in the radiation fields receiving therapeutic dose, was measured using Picture archiving and communication system (PACS). Results : The average small bowel volumes with and without SBDS were 176.0ml(5.2-415.6ml) and 185.1ml(54.5-434.2ml), respectively The changes of small bowel volume with SBDS compared to those without SBDS were more than $10\%$ decrease in three, less than 10% decrease in two, less than $10\%$ increase in three, and more than $10\%$ increase in two patients. Conclusion : No significant advantage of using SBDS in post-operative pelvic RT for rectal cancer patients has been shown by small bowel volume measurement using CT scan considering additional effort and time needed for simulation and treatment setup.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.99-109
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• 2023

Purpose: CT scan makes up for the weak point of the nuclear medicine image having a low resolution and also were used for attenuation correction on image reconstruction. Recently, many studies try to make use of CT images additionally, one of them is to measure the bone mineral density(BMD) using Quantitative CT(QCT) software. BMD exams are performed to scan lumbar and femur with DXA(Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) in order to diagnose bone disease such as osteopenia, osteoporosis. The purpose of this study is to identify the usefulness of QCT_BMD analyzed with low dose CT images on L-spine Bone SPECT/CT comparing with DXA_BMD. Materials and Methods: Fifty five women over 50 years old (mean 66.4 ± 9.1) who took the both examinations(L-spine Bone SPECT/CT with SIEMENS Intevo 16 and DXA scan with GE Lunar prodigy advance) within 90 days from April 2017 to July 2022, BMD, T-score and disease classification were analyzed. Three-dimensional BMD was analyzed with low dose CT images acquired on L-spine Bone SPECT/CT scan on Mindways QCT PRO^TM software and two-dimensional BMD was analyzed on DXA scan. Basically, Lumbar 1-4 were analyzed and the patients who has lesion or spine implants on L-spine were excluded for this study. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed in BMD and T-score, chi-square test was performed in disease classification between QCT and DXA. Results: On 55 patients, the minimum of QCT_BMD was 18.10, maximum was 166.50, average was 82.71 ± 31.5 mg/cm³. And the minimum of DXA-BMD was 0.540, maximum was 1.302, average was 0.902 ± 0.201 g/cm², respectively. The result shows a strong statistical correlation between QCT_BMD and DXA_BMD(p<0.001, r=0.76). The minimum of QCT_T-score was -5.7, maximum was -0.1, average was -3.2 ± 1.3 and the minimum of DXA_T-score was -5.0, maximum was 1.7, average was -2.0 ± 1.3, respectively. The result shows a statistical correlation between QCT T-score and DXA T-score (p<0.001, r=0.66). On the disease classification, normal was 5, osteopenia was 25, osteoporosis was 25 in QCT and normal was 10, osteopenia was 25, osteoporosis was 20 in DXA. There was under-estimation of bone decrease relatively on DXA than QCT, but there was no significant differences statistically by chi-square test between QCT and DXA. Conclusion: Through this study, we could identify that the QCT measurement with low dose CT images QCT from L-Spine Bone SPECT/CT was reliable because of a strong statistical correlation between QCT_BMD and DXA_BMD. Bone SPECT/CT scan can provide three-dimensional information also BMD measurement with CT images. In the future, rather than various exams such as CT, BMD, Bone scan are performed, it will be possible to provide multipurpose information via only SPECT/CT scan. In addition, it will be very helpful clinically in the sense that we can provide a diagnosis of potential osteoporosis, especially in middle-aged patients.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.93-107
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• 1973

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an important vegetable crop for the Korean people and has long been cultivated extensively in Korea. More recently it has gained importance as a source of certain pharmaceuticals. This additional use has also contributed to the increasing demand for Korean garlic. Garlic has been propagated vegetatively for a long time without control measures against virus diseases. As a result it is presumed that most of the garlic varieties in Korea may have degenerated. The production of virus-free plants offers the most feasible way to control the virus diseases of garlic. However, little is known about garlic viruses both domestically and in foreign countries. More basic information regarding garlic viruses is needed before a sound approach to the control of these diseases can be developed. Currently garlic mosaic disease is most prevalent in plantings throughout Korea and is considered to be the most important disease of garlic in Korea. Because of this importance, studies were initiated to isolate and characterize the garlic mosaic virus. Symptom expression in test plants, physical properties, purification, serological reaction and morphological characteristics of the garlic mosaic virus were determined. Results of these studies are summarized as follows. 1. Surveys made throughout the important garlic growing areas in Korea during 1970-1972 revealed that most of the garlic plants were heavily infected with mosaic disease. 2. A strain of garlic mosaic virus was obtained from infected garlic leaves and transmitted mechanically to Chenopodium amaranticolor by single lesion isolation technique. 3. The symptom expression of this garlic mosaic virus isolate was examined on 26 species of test plants. Among these, Chenopodium amaranticolor, C. quince, C. album and C. koreanse expressed chlorotic local lesions on inoculated leaves 11-12 days after mechanical inoculation with infective sap. The remaining 22 species showed no symptoms and no virus was recovered from them whet back-inoculated to C. amaranticolor. 4. Among the four species of Chtnopodium mentioned above, C. amaranticolor and C. quinoa appear to be the most suitable local lesion test plants for garlic mosaic virus. 5. Cloves and top·sets originating from mosaic infected garlic plants were $100\%$ infected with the same virus. Consequently the garlic mosaic virus is successively transmitted through infected cloves and top-sets. 6. Garlic mosaic virus was mechanically transmitted to C, amaranticolor when inoculations were made with infective sap of cloves and top-sets. 7. Physical properties of the garlic mosaic virus as determined by inoculation onto C. amaranticolor were as follows. Thermal inactivation point: $65-70^{\circ}C$, Dilution end poiut: $10^-2-10^-3$, Aging in vitro: 2 days. 8. Electron microscopic examination of the garlic mosaic virus revealed long rod shaped particles measuring 1200-1250mu. 9. Garlic mosaic virus was purified from leaf materials of C. amaranticolor by using two cycles of differential centrifugation followed by Sephadex gel filtration. 10. Garlic mosaic virus was successfully detected from infected garlic cloves and top-sets by a serological microprecipitin test. 11 Serological tests of 150 garlic cloves and 30 top-sets collected randomly from seperated plants throughout five different garlic growing regions in Korea revealed $100\%$ infection with garlic mosaic virus. Accordingly it is concluded that most of the garlic cloves and top-sets now being used for propagation in Korea are carriers of the garlic mosaic virus. 12. Serological studies revealed that the garlic mosaic virus is not related with potato viruses X, Y, S and M. 13. Because of the difficulty in securing mosaic virus-free garlic plants, direct inoculation with isolated virus to the garlic plants was not accomplished. Results of the present study, however, indicate that the virus isolate used here is the causal virus of the garlic mosaic disease in Korea.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.159-176
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• 1998

In effort to conduct comparative study on the caregiving environment of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit(NICU) in both U. S and Korea, this study was been conducted first in the U.S. Purpose : The purpose of this study is to identify the physical environment and direct caregiving practices to lowbirth weight infants in NICU in the US. It also aims to examine the NICU outcome status and behavioral reponses of lowbirth weight infants. Methods : A study design using descriptive and inferential statistics was been conducted through an observational, field method. A sample of 15 preform infants admitted to NICU were recruited for the study. The subjects were those with birth weight between 1,000 gm to 1,500 gm, born at the gestation period of 27 to 33 weeks, and without any chromosomal or other genetic anomalies, major congenital infections, or maternal illness. Thirty minutes observation(three times of ten minutes of continuous observation)of the infant's behavior and physiological status, and an four-hour observation of the physical environment and direct care giving procedures were been conducted on the 3rd and 10th day after birth, and on the day of discharge from the NICU or at 34weeks postconception. The data to be collected were in four areas : the demograghic characteristics of the infants, the physical environment and care giving procedures, the frequency of the infant's designated behavior and physiological response, and NICU outcome variables. A descriptive analysis and Kruskal-Wallis, Pearson r were been applied according to variable characteristics. Results : 1. Mother's mean age was 29.47. The sample consisted of 6 males and 9 females. Mean gestational ages were 29.17 weeks. Mean birth weight was 1236.33g. Mean Apgar scores at one minute were 6.6, and 7.8 at five minutes. 2. The location for the incubator was in the distance from the light, X-ray screens and nursing station, in proximity to side-lamp, telephone and faucet on the third day after birth. The location for the incubator was in the distance from the light and radio on the tenth day and in proximity to nursing station on the day of dischage from the NICU or at 34weeks postconception. 3. Nesting was the most applying aids to the infants. And foot roll, shielding and plastic frame were frequently using by nurses for facilitating well modulated restful posture. 4. There were statistically significant changes in the patterns of physical environment included locating the infant's incubator and bedding, specific aids to self regulation on the 3rd and 10th day after birth, and on the day of discharge from the NICU or at 34weeks postconception. 5. Statistically significant changes were not appeared in the patterns of direct caregiving procedure to the infants included stress inducing or reducing manipulations on the 3rd and 10th day after birth, and on the day of discharge from the NICU or at 34weeks postconception. 6. The stress response of the infants in NICU were significantly reduced as the infants grow older. 7. There were not statistically significant correlation between the physical envronment and the stress responses of the infants in NICU. 8. There were statistically significant correlation between the direct caregiving procedure to the infants and the stress response of the infants in NICU in the second and third observation on the day three. 9. Average weight gain per day from birth to discharge was 38.73g, number of days in the hospital was 42.60, number of days before bottle feeding was 3.6. Postconception age starting bottle feed ing was 31/sup +5/ weeks. Number of days on mechanical ventilator was average 7.64, 11.42 was an average number of days of oxygen need. Conclusion : It, thus, appears that to minimize the sensorymotor stimulation for the low birthweight preterm infant in NICU, manipulation of care giving practices to the babies whatever the stress inducing or reducing procedures, have to be limited in the immediate early stage after birth. And it needed to be reexamine to identify the appropriate and specific physical environment and the patterns of direct caregiving to the low birthweight preform infant as the infants grow older in NICU.