• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.357-365
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• 1995

The use of chlorinated water in swimming pools produces elevated chloroform levels in the water and air of the pools which can cause chloroform body burden of swimming individuals. Present study confirmed the chloroform body burdens from a 40-min swimming and evaluated the decay of chloroform breath concentration after the cessation of a 60-min swimming. Air and water concentrations were measured in the pools. The water and air chloroform concentrations ranged from 18.1 to 25.3 ${mu}g/l$ and from 30.9 to 60.7 ${\mu}g/m3$ for the confirmation study, respectively. The breath level after 40-min swimming was about 64 to 266 folds higher than the corresponding background breath. The breath concentration after the 40-min swimming ranged from 10.5 to 21.3 ${\mu}g/m3$, while that prior to the corresponding swimming ranged from 0.07 to 0.19 ${\mu}g/m3$. In addition, the post-exposure breath level varied with the subjects who swam in the pool on the same visiting day. Breath concentration increased gradually during 60-min swimming, then decreased rapidly within 5 minutes after the cessation of exposure, after that, decreased slowly, and finally approached to a background breath level at 1-2 hr after exposure.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how much effect to accuracy when measuring abdominal fat by Computed Tomography (CT) under different respiration movements. The study volunteer composed of 66 normal adults ($50.4{\pm}11.2$ years, 33 males, 33 females). We measured their obesity by using Broca index, body mass index (BMI) and CT and have investigated the correlation. The CT scanning for the obesity measurement have done in two ways, one was done in stopping breath after exhaling and the other was holding a breath after inhaling. The results showed no statistically significant difference among the three measuring techniques. And, the error in two ways of inhaling and exhaling was showed 24.2% of volunteers. The two ways of respiration movements made different result in visceral fat area (P = 0.044), subcutaneous fat area (P = 0.636) and abdominal obesity value (P = 0.012). This study demonstrates that the two ways of respiration movements when scanning CT makes change in accuracy in visceral fat area, and in abdominal obesity quantitative measure. Therefore, our study suggests that CT should take twice in two ways while a patient stops breath after exhaling and holds a breath after inhaling when measuring abdominal obesity using CT equipments.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.25-34
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• 2017

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify comparison of the abdominal muscle thickness and activity by using tool and unstable surface which is accompanied bridge exercise doing abdominal drawing-in breath. Method : This study was performed on normal 13 males and 17 females subjects doing bridge exercise accompanied abdominal drawing-in breath used tools. At this time muscle thickness and muscle activity is measured through ultrasound and EMG. Result : The results of this study, rectus abdominis, internal oblique and transverse abdominis showed a significant difference in muscle thickness when performed using pilates circle. And external oblique showed a significant difference muscle thickness when performed using gym ball. Rectus abdominis and external oblique showed a significant difference in muscle activity when performed using pilates circle. And internal oblique showed a significant difference in muscle activity when performed using sling. Conclusion : Therefore it is suggested that it would be effective to apply the gymball and pilates circle in the unstable surface for abdominal weakness.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2024

This study aims to suggest the partition ratio (Q-factor) of healthy Koreans and the comparison results of breath alcohol concentration (BAC) measurements using two methods (photoacoustic and electrochemical methods) for developing breath alcohol ignition interlock devices (BAIIDs). Given the relationship between BACs and BrACs and the Q-factor, the alcohol metabolism of healthy Koreans (96 males and 91 females) is revealed for understanding the digestion of alcohol and surveying the fundamental data of alcohol-related problems, CO₂ concentrations vs. alcohol concentrations, and the performance of alcohol sensors in the marketplace. The average Q-factor of healthy Korean males and females are 1,913 (95% confidence interval from 1,889-1,937) and 1,991 (95% confidence interval from 1,945-2,036). Photoacoustic measurements could be applied to predict the BACs of drinkers, which is confirmed by the Bland-Altman plots presented in this study. The biases based on the partition ratios (Q=1,913 and Q=1,991) in the Bland-Altman plots were -0.0004% (95% CI from -0.0011 to +0.0003% for males) and -0.0017% (95% CI from -0.020 to +0.017% for females).

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.378-387
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• 2015

Purpose: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) leads to death if the patient does not receive emergency treatment. Thus it is very important to recognize the symptoms in the early stage. The purpose of this study was to identify clusters of symptoms that represent AMI in Koreans. Methods: The study used a retrospective, descriptive design with secondary data analysis. Data were abstracted from 725 medical records of AMI patients admitted from June 1, 2006 to August 15, 2014 at a university hospital. Results: Analysis of the AMI symptoms revealed five symptom clusters; Cluster 1 (n=140): middle chest pain (100%), shortness of breath, and cold sweating, Cluster 2 (n=256): substernal pain (100%), cold sweating, and shortness of breath, Cluster 3 (n=47): substernal pain (95.7%), left arm pain, shortness of breath, cold sweating, left shoulder pain, right arm pain, and the lower neck pain, Cluster 4 (n=212): shortness of breath (28.3%), left chest pain, and upper abdominal pain, and Cluster 5 (n=70): cold sweating (100%), left chest pain, shortness of breath, left shoulder pain, and upper abdominal pain. Length of hospital stay and mortality rate were significantly different according to symptom clusters (F=2.52, p =.040; F=3.62, p =.006, respectively). Conclusion: Symptom clusters of AMI from this study can be used for AMI patients in order to recognize their symptoms at an early stage. The study findings should be considered when developing educational prevention programs for Koreans with AMI.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4377-4384
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• 2014

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1.37 million people died of lung cancer all around the world in 2008, occupying the first place in all cancer-related deaths. However, this number might be decreased if patients were detected earlier and treated appropriately. Unfortunately, traditional imaging techniques are not sufficiently satisfactory for early detection of lung cancer because of limitations. As one alternative, breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may reflect the biochemical status of the body and provide clues to some diseases including lung cancer at early stage. Early detection of lung cancer based on breath analysis is becoming more and more valued because it is non-invasive, sensitive, inexpensive and simple. In this review article, we analyze the limitations of traditional imaging techniques in the early detection of lung cancer, illustrate possible mechanisms of the production of VOCs in cancerous cells, present evidence that supports the detection of such disease using breath analysis, and summarize the advances in the study of E-noses based on gas sensitive sensors. In conclusion, the analysis of breath VOCs is a better choice for the early detection of lung cancer compared to imaging techniques. We recommend a more comprehensive technique that integrates the analysis of VOCs and non-VOCs in breath. In addition, VOCs in urine may also be a trend in research on the early detection of lung cancer.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.9 s.89
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• pp.1255-1259
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to elucidate incidence of $VO_2$ plateau by comparing data derived from different time averaging intervals during incremental cycling exercise to $VO_2max$. Seventeen subjects (age: $23.5{\pm}3.3$ years and $VO_2max$: $3.65{\pm}0.73$ L/min, respectively) completed $VO_2max$ tests on cycle ergometer which breath by breath gas ex-change data were obtained. These data were time-averaged into 11-breath, 15, 30 and 60 s sampling intervals. The incidence of plateau were 100, 35, 24 and 6% for the 11 breath, 15 s, 30 s and 60 s averaging, respectively. No correlation was between ${\Delta}$ $VO-2$ at $VO_2max$ and $VO_2max$ (r=0.008). 53% (maximal HR within 10 b/min) and 100% $(RER{\geq}1.15)$ of subjects met the criteria for attainment of $VO_2max$. This data indicate that shorter sampling intervals (11 breath) is the most suitable for de-tection of the $VO_2$ plateau and RER can be used for the criteria for attainment of $VO_2max$ but not maximal HR. Also, the incidence of a plateau is not related to training status or physical fitness of subjects.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.36-44
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• 2016

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of breath-counting meditation (BCM) and deep breathing (DB) on heart rate variability (HRV). These breathing techniques have the characteristics of non-paced and self-controlled breathings, resulting in less increase of HRV. We also compared BCM and DB with usual breathing (UB) or relaxing breathing (RB) which can reveal the characteristics of those. Methods: 83 healthy volunteers sitting in chairs performed non-paced breathing; UB, RB, BCM, and DB each for 5 minutes. One minute of relaxation was permitted between breathings. Participants surfed the internet sitting in front of a computer during UB, while for RB, they remained steady with eyes closed. For BCM, they breathed inwardly counting from 1 to 10 repetitively, while they took a deep breath during DB. Physiological indices were simultaneously recorded with a biofeedback system. Results: Respiration rate, thoracic amplitude, and mean heart rate decreased in RB compared with UB, but there was no change in HRV. Respiration rate in BCM and DB was lower than that in UB or RB, and the amplitude of thorax or abdomen, and HRV all increased (p<0.05). However, mean heart rate and skin conductance decreased in BCM compared with UB (p<0.05), whereas those were no different between DB and UB. Conclusion: BCM, just concentrating mentally on breathing with counting each breath, can increase HRV with less sympathetic activation, while DB, actively moving thorax and abdomen for achieving the deepest respiration rate, can greatly raise HRV with the maintenance of mean vagal or sympathetic tone.

• Journal of The Korea Institute of Healthcare Architecture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2014

Purpose: In this study, we performed ventilation simulations for a standard isolation ward including three intensive care rooms, one anteroom(buffer room), and its recommended ventilation equipments. The purpose of this study is to predict outflow of pathogenic bacteria from patient breath to verify the reliability and the safety of the isolation ward. Methods: We suppose three scenarios of the movement of medical staff. The leakage of patient's breath to out of the ward is predicted in these scenarios using CFD simulations. Results: The patient's breath leakage rate to out of the ward in scenario 1 according to room air changes per hour(ACH : 6 and 12) is predicted to be 0.000057% and 0.00002%, respectively. The patient's breath leakage rate to out of the ward in scenario 2 according to room air changes(ACH : 6 and 12) is predicted to be 0.00063% and 0.00019%, respectively. The patient's breath leakage rate to out of the ward in scenario 3, which is the worst case(6 room air changes) is predicted to be 0.1%. Implications: Through the ventilation simulation like that in this study, the reliability and the safety on isolation performance of various plan of isolation ward are predicted quantitatively.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2016

Measurement of cardiac blood flow using the magnetic resonance imaging has been limited due to breathing and involuntary movements of the heart. The present study attempted to improve the accuracy of cardiac blood flow testing through phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging by presenting the adequate breathing method and imaging variables by comparing the measurement values of cardiac blood flow. Each was evaluated by comparing the breath hold retrospective 1NEX and non breath hold retrospective 1-3NEX in the ascending aorta and descending aorta. As a result, the average blood flow amount/velocity of the breath hold retrosepctive 1NEX method in the ascending aorta were $96.17{\pm}19.12ml/sec$, $17.04{\pm}4.12cm/sec$ respectively, which demonstrates a statistically significant difference(p<0.05) with the non-breath hold retrospective method 1NEX of $72.31{\pm}13.27ml$ and $12.32{\pm}3.85$. On the other hand, the average 2NEX blood flow and mean flow velocity is $101.90{\pm}24.09$, $16.84{\pm}4.32$, 3NEX $103.06{\pm}25.49$, $16.88{\pm}4.19$ did not show statistically significant differences(p>0.05).The average blood flow amount/ velocity of the breath hold retrospective 1NEX method in the descending aorta were $76.68{\pm}19.72ml/s$, and $22.23{\pm}4.8$, which did not demonstrate a significant difference in comparison to non-breath hold retrospective method 1-3 NEX. Therefore, the non breath hold retrospective method does not significantly differ in terms of cardiac blood flow in comparison with the breath hold retrospective method in accordance with the increase of NEX, so pediatric patients or patients who are not able to breathe well must have the diagnostic value of their cardiac blood flow tests improved.