This study assessed the safety of commercially available Cordyceps militaris in Korea by analyzing seven heavy metals, 321 pesticide residues, and three radionuclides in ten domestic and imported samples. Cadmium was not detected in any sample, and all other heavy metals were detected at trace levels within safe limits. Two pesticide residues, metalaxyl and carbendazim, were detected in one sample imported from China, both below the MRLs established for other mushroom species in Korea. Radioactivity was not detected in any sample, although concentrations in samples from China tended to be higher than those in domestic samples. Overall, all contaminants were within safe limits; however, given the absence of Cordyceps militarisspecific regulatory standards in Korea, the establishment of crop-specific MRLs and systematic safety management throughout the cultivation-to-distribution chain are warranted.

Background: Real-time ergonomic risk assessment in manufacturing environments is challenged by severe class imbalance in high-risk postures and the need for deployment-efficient models. Conventional oversampling techniques may violate biomechanical constraints, limiting their suitability for human motion data. Objectives: This study aimed to compare multiple machine learning models for real-time ergonomic risk assessment while addressing data imbalance using biomechanically appropriate learning strategies and evaluating both predictive performance and deployment efficiency. Design: Comparative study. Methods: A large-scale workplace safety dataset comprising image-based skeletal keypoints was analyzed. To mitigate class imbalance without generating biomechanically implausible samples, cost-sensitive learning and focal loss were employed instead of synthetic oversampling. Subject-wise data splitting was applied to prevent data leakage. Five model families, including Random Forest, convolutional neural networks, and a lightweight graphbased network, were evaluated using accuracy, F1-score, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and high-risk recall. Statistical significance was assessed using bootstrap confidence intervals and McNemar and DeLong tests. Results: The lightweight graph-based model demonstrated competitive classification performance while maintaining reduced computational complexity. Although none of the models achieved the predefined high-risk recall threshold, statistically significant performance differences were observed across model families. Conclusion: The findings suggest that biomechanically informed imbalance handling improves methodological validity in ergonomic risk assessment. While deployment feasibility appears promising, further empirical validation on edge hardware is required.

The lactic acid bacteria, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum KU15149 and Levilactobacillus brevis KU15176 were verified through phenotypic and genotypic analyses. Safety evaluation was conducted using multiple assays, including minimum inhibitory concentration assay for nine antibiotics, hemolytic activity, mucin degradation, gelatin liquefaction, urease activity, indole production, β-glucuronidase activity, bile salt deconjugation, cell cytotoxicity, D-/L-lactic acid production, and biogenic amine formation. Genotypically L. plantarum KU15149 and L. brevis KU15176 lacked all virulence and antibiotic resistance genes investigated. Consistent with these results, phenotypic assays showed that both strains were susceptible according to EFSA cut-off values and tested negative for hemolysis, mucin degradation, gelatin liquefaction, urease activity, indole production, β-glucuronidase activity, and bile salt deconjugation. Furthermore, neither strain showed cytotoxicity toward Caco-2 cells at a multiplicity of infection of 250. Production of D-lactic acid and biogenic amines was negligible in both bacteria. Overall, L. plantarum KU15149 and L. brevis KU15176 demonstrated safety and beneficial characteristics and therefore could serve as probiotic strains.

Earthquakes can damage transmission system components, leading to extensive blackouts and disrupting essential societal functions. In urban areas, interruptions in power supply critically impact sectors such as industry, healthcare, and telecommunications, highlighting the need for quantitative and systematic analysis. Most existing research has focused on assessing seismic fragility at the individual facility level, with insufficient probabilistic safety evaluations that consider the connectivity of entire transmission systems. This study aims to quantify the connectivity-based seismic fragility and risk associated with transmission systems in Busan and its neighboring regions, Ulsan and Gyeongnam. To achieve this, a network model of Busan’s transmission system was developed using OpenStreetMap data. Damage probabilities were calculated using seismic fragility curves from HAZUS and reports from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Damage state-specific risks were then quantitatively assessed by combining these fragility values with Busan’s seismic hazard curves. The results showed High Confidence and Low Probability of Failure values ranging from 0.049 g (Slight) to 0.273 g (Complete), with median fragility values ranging from 0.143 g (Slight) to 0.605 g (Complete). The annual risk for each damage state was determined to be 4.151×10-4/yr, 1.177×10-4/yr, 3.667×10-5/yr, and 9.391×10-6/yr. This research quantitatively assesses the seismic fragility of Busan’s transmission system, providing a practical basis for disaster response strategies and risk-informed decision-making related to regional electric power infrastructure.

This study was conducted to analyze the amount of carbon dioxide generated by major types of traffic safety facility works during road construction, including traffic safety signs, median dividers, roadside guardrails, and gaze guidance facilities.The material and fuel input units for each detailed construction type were set based on the design data for road construction and top-level data, and the quantities were input and analyzed based on the design data. For the top-level data, civil engineering and design data provided by the Public Procurement Service were organized based on the general national road data and analyzed using SimaPro, a commercial program. A total of 300 [SI units] were generated for a 4.4 km section of the four-way road. Traffic safety signs were roughly 2.3 , guardrails were about 287.2 , and gaze guidance facilities were approximately 10.2 . Although the extension or quantity of each facility will vary depending on the characteristics of the design section, if the construction section is based on the basic unit, it can be determined that about 68.1 [SI units] of total carbon dioxide were generated, of which about 0.5 was generated for traffic safety signs, about 65 for guardrails, and about 2.3 was generated for gaze guidance facilities. In this study, we analyzed environmental factors that impact the construction of traffic safety facilities that were not specifically calculated in Korea. Moreover, our results can be used to judge the amount of carbon generated by road cycles in the future or to evaluate the qualities of carbon in terms of various types of traffic safety facilities.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of fire safety education in high school dormitories—high-density residential environments—by assessing both cognitive and behavioral changes. Pre- and post-surveys were combined with measurement of the Required Safe Egress Time (RSET), which recorded 264 seconds from alarm activation (T₀ + 0 sec) to final evacuation completion (T₀ + 264 sec). This enabled a quantitative analysis of behavioral improvement. Results revealed that academic performance and family background significantly influenced learning outcomes, whereas the “evacuation during fire” domain showed no statistically significant change, suggesting insufficient instructional content or delivery. Policy recommendations include customized fire safety programs reflecting learner characteristics, experiential evacuation drills, school–home safety integration, mandatory dormitory fire drills, and certification with best-practice dissemination. The findings offer a practical framework for enhancing fire safety education tailored to dormitory-based schools, contributing to improved preparedness, response capability, and student survival in real fire emergencies.

The fishing industry is globally recognized as a high-risk sector with substantial safety challenges. This study analyzes Norway's fishing vessel safety management legislation and risk management practices. The goal is to derive insights that can enhance South Korea's safety management for fishing vessels. Norway has established a culture of safety through regular inspections, mandatory safety training, the implementation of safety management systems, and active involvement of fishermen in risk assessments. These measures have significantly reduced maritime accidents. This study suggests incorporating effective elements of Norway’s safety management into the South Korean context, emphasizing a participatory approach that actively involves fishers.

This study analyzes the impact of occupational health risk assessments on the safety and health levels and the safety behaviors of workers in manufacturing workplaces. An online survey was conducted among 3,172 companies, yielding 637 responses. The statistical analysis on the collected responses revealed three key findings. First, the safety and health levels (safety importance, safety comprehension, safety awareness) positively influence the outcomes of occupational health risk assessments(safety practice, safety management, safety improvement) and safety behaviors (activity change, safety check). Second, the effectiveness of occupational health risk assessments has a positive impact on safety behaviors. Lastly, the effectiveness of occupational health risk assessments partially mediate the relationship between safety and health levels and safety behaviors. These findings are expected to contribute to the promotion of risk assessments in the field of industrial health and to enhancing safety performance by improving workplace safety, health levels, and safety behavior.