• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.251-257
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• 2022

Monitoring and assessing aquatic ecosystems using the behavior of organisms is essential for sustainable ecosystem management. Oligochaetes, which inhabit various freshwater ecosystems, are frequently used to evaluate the environmental conditions of freshwater ecosystems. Tubifex tubifex (Müller, 1774) (Oligochaeta, Tubificidae) is tolerant to organic pollution and has been used to evaluate the toxicity of toxicants, including heavy metals. We studied the behavioral responses of T. tubifex to three different copper concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 mg L^-1). The specimens were exposed to copper in an observation cage containing 150 mL of dechlorinated water. Movement behavior (diameter, speed, acceleration, meander, and turning rate) was continuously observed for two hours before and after the copper treatments. After the treatments, the diameter shrank and showed rapid twisting movement under all the copper conditions. The turning rate had a positive correlation with meander and acceleration both before and after treatment at all three concentrations, whereas speed and meander had a negative correlation. Length and turning rate also showed a negative correlation. The correlation coefficient between speed and acceleration in the highest copper concentration changed from positive before treatment (r=0.64) to negative (r= -0.52) after treatment. Our results present the possibility of using behavioral parameters to detect copper contamination in freshwater ecosystems.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.7
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• pp.1489-1494
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• 2017

The use of a room-temperature gamma spectrometer is an issue in environmental radiation monitoring. To monitor radionuclides released around a nuclear power plant, suitable instruments giving fast and reliable information are required. High-pressure xenon (HPXe) chambers have range of resolution and efficiency equivalent to those of other medium resolution detectors such as those using NaI(Tl), CdZnTe, and $LaBr_3:Ce$. An HPXe chamber could be a cost-effective alternative, assuming temperature stability and reliability. The CEA LIST actively studied and developed HPXe-based technology applied for environmental monitoring. Xenon purification and conditioning was performed. The design of a 4-L HPXe detector was performed to minimize the detector capacitance and the required power supply. Simulations were done with the MCNPX2.7 particle transport code to estimate the intrinsic efficiency of the HPXe detector. A behavioral study dealing with ballistic deficits and electronic noise will be utilized to provide perspective for further analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.121-129
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• 2016

As the lifespan of concrete structures increases, their load carrying capacity decreases owing to cyclic loads and long-term effects such as creep and shrinkage. For these reasons, there is a necessity for stress state monitoring of concrete members. Particularly, it is necessary to evaluate the concrete structures for behavioral changes by using a technique that can overcome the measuring limitations of usual ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation methods. This paper proposes the use of a nonlinear ultrasonic method, namely, nonlinear resonant ultrasonic spectroscopy (NRUS) for the measurement of nonlinearity parameters for stress monitoring. An experiment compared the use of NRUS method and a linear ultrasonic method, namely, ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) to study the effects of continuously increasing loads and cyclic loads on the nonlinearity parameter. Both NRUS and UPV methods found a similar direct relationship between load level and that parameter. The NRUS method showed a higher sensitivity to micro-structural changes of concrete than UPV method. Thus, the experiment confirms the possibility of using the nonlinear ultrasonic method for stress state monitoring of concrete members.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.5-15
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a behavioral checklist to predict an autistic disorder and to identify the earliest detecting time. Method: One hundred and fifty eight children including normal, autistic, institutionalized normal, and retarded were assessed using critical interaction behavioral markers from literature review. Data was collected by semi-structured mother-child interaction by videotape recording and analyzed byfactor analysis, Cronbach a, Kappa, $x^2$, and Duncan. Result: Ten behavioral markers were sorted into 2 factors; joint-attention and synchronized behavior. Autistic children were impaired in pretend play, odeclarative pointing, proimperative pointing, gaze-monitoring, referential looking, showing, joint-attention, rhythmical vocal exchange, and synchronized laughing. The sychronized behavior was also a critical marker to predict the autistic disorder. However, it was difficult to differentiate autistic disorder from mental retardation. In addition, the appropriate detecting time was around 18 months after birth. Conclusion: This checklist should be behavior markers to predict autistic disorder and could be useful as educational material at children's clinics, parents class, and for caregivers in the health center. In addition, early detection should lead to treatment being started as soon after 18 months of age as possible.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.780-792
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• 2016

Purpose: This study was conducted to develop a customized birth control program and identify its effects on attitude, subjective norm, behavioral control, intention, and behavior of contraception among immigrant postpartum mothers. Methods: In this experimental study, Vietnamese, Filipino or Cambodian married immigrant postpartum mothers were recruited. They were assigned to the experiment group (n=21) or control group (n=21). The customized birth control program was provided to the experimental group for 4 weeks. Results: The experimental group showed a significant increase in the score of attitude, subjective norm, behavioral control, intention, and behavior of contraception. Conclusion: Findings in this study indicate that the customized postpartum birth control program, a systematic and integrative intervention program composed of customized health education, counseling and telephone monitoring, is able to provide effective planning for postpartum health promotion and birth control behavior practice in married immigrant women.

• Journal of Computing Science and Engineering
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.180-199
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• 2008

Technology has had a tremendous impact on our daily lives. Recently, technology and its impact on aging has become an expanding field of inquiry. A major reason for this interest is that the use of technology can help older people who experience deteriorating health to live independently. In this paper we give a brief review of the in-home monitoring technologies for the elderly. In the pilot study, we analyze the possibility of employing the data generated by a continuous, unobtrusive nursing home monitoring system for predicting elevated(abnormal)pulse pressure(PP) in elderly(PP=systolic blood pressure-diastolic blood pressure). Our sensor data capture external information(behavioral) about the resident that is subsequently reflected in the predicted PP. By continuously predicting the possibility of elevated pulse pressure we may alert the nursing staff when some predefined threshold is exceeded. This approach may provide additional blood pressure monitoring for the elderly persons susceptible to blood pressure variations during the time between two nursing visits. We conducted a retrospective pilot study on two residents of the TigerPlace aging in place facility with age over 70, that had blood pressure measured between 100 and 300 times during a period of two years. The pilot study suggested that abnormal pulse pressure can be reasonably well estimated (an area under ROC curve of about 0.75) using apartment bed and motion sensors.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.62-66
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• 2008

Purpose : In addition to epileptic seizures (ES), a variety of physiologic, organic and psychogenic disorders can manifest as paroxysmal behavioral events. Paroxysmal nonepileptic events (PNEs) are quite encountered in infants, young children, and adolescents. In a substantial proportion of cases, a careful history and examination will elucidate their nature. However, in other cases, it is necessary to differentiate PNEs from ES by video-electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring. We report our experiences with PNEs in a group of children and adolescents who underwent video-EEG monitoring. Methods : From September, 2004 to June, 2006, one hundred thirty patients were monitored in the Pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Units of Korea University Guro and Ansan hospitals. Their hospital charts were reviewed and video records of these events were analyzed. We observed all patients after video-EEG monitoring for more than 3 months. Results : Typical spells occurred during monitoring in 33 patients, not associated with a seizure pattern on EEG recordings. Two patients were diagnosed as frontal lobe epilepsy on basis of typical semiology and clinical characteristics, so 31 patients were documented to have PNEs finally. The mean age of patients was $7.2{\pm}5.8\;years$. The male to female ratio was 15 (48.4%) to 16 (51.6%). Among 31 patients, fifteen patients had associated disorders such as epilepsy, developmental delay, cerebral palsy, gastric ulcer, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or depressive disorder. Somatoform disorder and factitious disorder was frequently seen in children more than 5 years old (P<0.05). Psychogenic disorder was more frequent in female (n=6) than in male (n=2) but there was no statistical significance (P>0.05). Conclusion : Our study suggests that video-EEG monitoring is an important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of paroxysmal behavioral events. With correct diagnosis of the PNEs, several unnecessary treatment could be avoided.

• Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.151-158
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• 2013

Objectives To investigate the pattern of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in patients with bipolar disorders managed by lithium or valproic acid. Methods The study participants were 106 patients with DSM-IV bipolar disorders receiving planned maintenance treatment at the Mood Disorders Clinic of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (aged between 17 and 64, mean duration of follow-up = 875.65 days). Using the bipolar disorder registry, thyroid function data were analyzed to assess the frequency of and the risk factors for SCH in patients managed by lithium (n = 64) or valproic acid (n = 42) for more than 5 months. Results Overall frequencies of SCH were 20.3% (13/64) in the lithium group, 14.3% (6/42) in the valproic acid group, and between the two groups there is no difference (p = 0.43). No differences were observed in the potential risk factors for SCH between the two groups including age, sex, subtype of bipolar disorder, baseline TSH, and concomitant antipsychotic use. In cases with SCH, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) showed a tendency to increase at 3 month after the initiation of lithium or valproic acid. A gradual increase in the number of patients showing SCH was found within the first 3 years of medication. Conclusions With regular monitoring and careful assessment, there was no difference in the risk of SCH between lithium and valproic acid maintenance. The risk of mood stabilizer-associated SCH may gradually increase within 3 years following the commencement of medication, thereby mandating close monitoring for the first 3 years of treatment. Further studies with large sample size would be needed to confirm these findings.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.39-51
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• 2011

Acute toxicity test and behavioral change analysis of seawater acclimated Japanese medaka were conducted to identify the brine effects on fish by seawater desalination. 7 day acute toxicity test of brine revealed linear concentration-response relationship from 40.0~80.0 psu treatment groups. There was no significant brine effect for 30-40 psu groups and mass mortality was observed from >50 psu exposure (7-day $LC_{50}$=51.4 psu). Images from the real time camera system were analyzed to observe the changes in behavioral patterns of medaka exposed to various salinity. 40.0 and 50.0 psu exposed groups were stabilized in behavioral patterns after 3.1 and 4.6 hours, respectively and 60.0 psu group showed sharp increase in activity during first 12 hours and 50% mortality thereafter. Similar patterns were observed to 70 and 80 psu groups and both experimental groups showed 100% mortality within 12 hours. Acute toxicity test and behavioral patterns showed very similar toxicity results which revealed the increases in mortality and behavioral activities from 50.0 psu. This critical salinity for fish impacts must be implemented to brine discharge strategy by seawater desalination into the coastal area. Also, we recommend that real time camera monitoring system must be a useful tool for early warning of fish toxicity for other applications. This research was funded by Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, Korea.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.9
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• pp.964-970
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• 2009

Neonatal seizures are generally not only brief and subtle but also not easily recognized and are usually untreated. In sick neonates, seizures are frequently not manifested clinically but are detected only by electroencephalography (subclinical EEG seizures). This phenomenon of electroclinical dissociation is fairly common in neonates. On the other hand, neonates frequently show clinical behaviors such as stiffening, apnea, or autonomic manifestations that mimic seizures, which is usually associated with underlying encephalopathy and non-epileptic seizures. Therefore, it might be difficult to confirm the diagnosis of neonatal seizures. Early recognition of neonatal seizures is important to minimize poor neurodevelopmental outcomes, including cognitive, behavioral, and learning disabilities, as well as the development of postnatal epilepsy. EEG is a reliable tool in the determination of neonatal seizures. Continuous EEG monitoring is essential for the identification of seizures, evaluation of treatment efficacy, and prediction of the neurodevelopmental outcome. However, there is not yet a wide consensus on the optimal "standard" lead montage for the continuous EEG monitoring.