• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.648-658
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• 2017

7-O-Succinyl macrolactin A (SMA) exerts several pharmacological effects including anti-bacterial, anti-inflammation, and anti-cancer activities. Recently, SMA has been extensively evaluated as an anti-cancer drug. Thus, the objectives of the present study were to characterise the pharmacokinetics of SMA via both non-compartmental and compartmental analysis in mice, rats, and dogs, and to derive an appropriate first-in-man dose based on allometric scaling of the animal data. The time courses of plasma SMA concentrations after intravenous administration to rats and dogs were analysed retrospectively, as were data collected after intraperitoneal SMA injection in mice. Pharmacokinetic parameters were estimated via both noncompartmental and compartmental analysis, and were correlated with body weight and/or the potential maximum life-span. The clearance and distribution volume of SMA in humans were predicted, and a first-in-man dose proposed. A two-compartment model best described the time courses of SMA plasma concentrations after a saturation elimination process was applied to fit the dataset obtained from rats. Incorporation of the maximum potential life-span during allometric scaling was required to improve the estimation of human clearance. The SMA clearance and the distribution volume in the steady state, in a 70-kg adult male, were estimated to be 30.6 L/h and 19.5 L, respectively. To meet the area under the curve (AUC) required for anti-tumour activity, a dose of 100 mg (~1.5 mg/kg) was finally proposed as the first dose for a 70-kg human. Although toxicological profiles derived from non-clinical studies must be considered before any final decision is made, our work will facilitate clinical studies on SMA.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.110-143
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• 1996

The purpose of this study is to assess the extent of inequality in health outcomes and the distribution of health services according to health need under National Health Insurance System in Korea. For the empirical analysis, data were collected through an interview survey during one month of October, 1994. Interview were conducted with a total of 10, 875 of the employees and the self-employed selected through cluster, systematic sampling. The major findings of this research are as follows: 1. The analysis of the differentials in morbidity rates by socio-economic group showed that health inequality in the pro-higher groups existed in all self-reported morbidity indicators. 2. The findings of the conventional use measures showed that the lower socio-economic groups had more ambulatory and inpatient services than the higher groups. In contrast to the level of the medical care utilization, however, the higher socio-economic groups were more likely to use the high-quality source of care in terms of their treatment place compared to the lower groups. 3. By using the need-based use measures, the results were different from each use-disability ration indicator. Using the use-disability ration measured by physician visits per 100 restricted-activity days in the population, it was found that there was no evidence favoring the higher socio-economic groups. In contrast, the use-disability ration based on physician visits per a chronic patient in one year displayed that there was remarkable relative difference by income group as well as the evidence of the pro-higher income groups. 4. The results of logistic regression analysis and two-stage estimation method indicated that although the utilization is significantly affected by type and duration of insurance coverage, the use or nonuse of service and the volume of physician care consumed is determined by health need and demographic characteristics rater than economic status. In sum, these findings suggest that physician service is equitably distributed according to health need under national health insurance system in Korea. As there were some evidences of inequality including the differential in physician visits of chronic patients by income group, however, the government should strengthen the activities to guarantee the equity of health services utilization.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.467-476
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• 1999

This paper analyzed the behavior of fixed-bed catalytic reactor (FBCR) which synthesizing maleic anhydride(MA) from the selective oxidation of n-butane. The behavior of FBCR describing convection-diffusion-reaction mechanism is examined by using two-dimensional pseudohomogeneous plug-flow transient model, with the kinetics of Langmuir-Hinshelwood type. Prediction model is composed by optimum parameter estimation from temperature profile, yield and conversion of single FBCR on operating condition variations of Sharma's pilot-plant experiment. A double FBCR with same yield and conversion for single FBCR generated a $8.96^{\circ}C$ lower hot spot temperature than a single FBCR. We could predict parametric sensitivity according to the variation of possible operating condition (temperature, concentration, volumetric flow of feed reactant and coolant flow rate) of single and double FBCR. Double FBCR showed the behavior of more operating range than single FBCR. Double FBCR with nonuniform activities could assure safety operation condition for the possible variation of operating condition. Also, double FBCR had slightly higher than the single FBCR in conversion and yield.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.85-92
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• 2008

This study was carried out to estimate heavy metal loads at plain area of the rural watersheds during farming season in 2006. The experimental area was belonging to Geum River watershed. That was located at the center of South Korea. Water samples were corrected at two kinds of aspects. One is regular sampling(every two month) and the other is irregular sampling(every rainfall event). The result showed that heavy metal properties of regular samples were highest at May and June with lively agricultural activities. Heavy metal concentration of irregular samples was lower than that of regular samples. But the heavy metal loads of irregular samples were high. The correlation between each heavy metals of regular samples was following as Mn-Cd > Mn-Fe > Mn-Al > Fe-Al > Al-Cd. The correlation of irregular samples was following as Fe-AI > Zn-Mn > Fe-Cd > Cd-Al. Loading rates of daily discharge the plain area of designed rural watershed during farming season were Al 3.070 kg/day, Cu 0.526 kg/day, Fe 0.745 kg/day, Zn 0.314 kg/day, Cd 0.010 kg/day, Cr 0.055 kg/day, Mn 0.140 kg/day and Pb 0.098 kg/day. Loading rate of discharge with heavy metals during the survey period was Al(577.23 kg) > Fe(140.08 kg) > Cu(98.93 kg) > Zn(58.99 kg) > Mn(26.34 kg) > Pb(18.51 kg) > Cr(10.34 kg) > Cd(1.93 kg).

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2004

Northern Gyeonggi Province(NGP), consisting of 3 counties, is the northernmost region in South Korea adjacent to the de-militarized zone with North Korea. To supplement insufficient spatial coverage of official climate data and climate atlases based on those data, high-resolution digital climate models(DCM) were prepared to support weather- related activities of residents in NGP Monthly climate data from 51 synoptic stations across both North and South Korea were collected for 1981-2000. A digital elevation model(DEM) for this region with 30m cell spacing was used with the climate data for spatially interpolating daily maximum and minimum temperatures, solar irradiance, and precipitation based on relevant topoclimatological models. For daily minimum temperature, a spatial interpolation scheme accommodating the potential influences of cold air accumulation and the temperature inversion was used. For daily maximum temperature estimation, a spatial interpolation model loaded with the overheating index was used. Daily solar irradiances over sloping surfaces were estimated from nearby synoptic station data weighted by potential relative radiation, which is the hourly sum of relative solar intensity. Precipitation was assumed to increase with the difference between virtual terrain elevation and the DEM multiplied by an observed rate. Validations were carried out by installing an observation network specifically for making comparisons with the spatially estimated temperature pattern. Freezing risk in January was estimated for major fruit tree species based on the DCMs under the recurrence intervals of 10, 30, and 100 years, respectively. Frost risks at bud-burst and blossom of tree flowers were also estimated for the same resolution as the DCMs.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.661-669
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• 2017

A distributed watershed model CAMEL (Chemicals, Agricultural Management and Erosion Losses) was applied to a small rural watershed where intensive livestock farming sites are located to estimate nitrate leaching rates from soil to groundwater. The model was calibrated against the stream flows, and T-N and $NO_3-N$ concentrations were observed at the watershed outlet for three rainfall events in 2014. The simulation results showed good agreement with the observed stream flows ($R^2=0.67{\sim}0.93$), T-N concentrations ($R^2=0.40{\sim}0.58$) and $NO_3-N$ concentrations ($R^2=0.43{\sim}0.65$). The estimated annual nitrate leaching rate of the watershed was 33.0 kg N/ha/yr. The contributing proportions of individual activities to the total nitrate leaching rate of the watershed were estimated for livestock farming, applications of chemical fertilizer, and manure. The simulation results showed that the highest contributor to the nitrate leaching rate of the watershed was chemical fertilizer applications. The simulation period was for one year only, however, and results may vary depending on different conditions. Gathering input data over a longer period of time and monitoring data for calibration is needed. When this has been accomplished, it is expected that this model can be applied to small rural watersheds for evaluating temporal and spatial variations of nitrogen transformations and transport processes.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.315-319
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• 2018

This paper aims to make a step-by-step strategy to formulate an unified health system by clarifying and overcoming challenges facing South and North Korea and to estimate costs needed for South Korea to assist North Korea to recover to normal health delivery system. We explored implications through literature review and estimated costs under the assumption that supportive activities be provided for 5 years in three ways: support for the development of health and medical care manpower; support for health and medical facilities; and support for the provision of both preventive and primary health care. Step-by-step strategy is formulated for a unified health system with the cost estimation resulting as follows: in case of basic scenario, a total of 3 trillion and 341 billion won (at present value of the year 2017) is in need for the 5-year period at the initial 'recovery support stage' with 135.9 billion won for the development of health and medical care manpower, approximately 2 trillion won for health and medical facilities, and 1.2 trillion won for the provision of both preventive and primary health care. Step-by-step approach is more realistic and applicable in formulating unified health system. Suggested stages are 'recovery support stage,' 'system homogenization stage,' and 'unified system stage.' Strategies at 'recovery support stage' suggested in this paper need to be pursued and followed by those at 'system homogenization stage' and 'unified system stage.'

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.529-539
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• 1998

The effects of membrane surface charge originated from lipid head groups on ion channels were tested by analyzing the activity of single large conductance $Ca^{2+}-activated\;K^+$ (maxi K) channel from rat skeletal muscle. The conductances and open-state probability ($P_o$) of single maxi K channels were compared in three types of planar lipid bilayers formed from a neutral phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or two negatively-charged phospholipids, phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol (PI). Under symmetrical KCl concentrations $(3{\sim}1,000\;mM)$, single channel conductances of maxi K channels in charged membranes were $1.1{\sim}1.7$ times larger than those in PE membranes, and the differences were more pronounced at the lower ionic strength. The average slope conductances at 100 mM KCl were $251{\pm}9.9$, $360{\pm}8.7$ and $356{\pm}12.4$ $(mean{\pm}SEM)$ pS in PE, PS and PI membranes respectively. The potentials at which $P_o$ was 1/2, appeared to have shifted left by 40 mV along voltage axis in the membranes formed with PS or PI. Such shift was consistently seen at pCa 5, 4.5, 4 and 3.5. Estimation of the effect of surface charge from these data indicated that maxi K channels sensed the surface potentials at a distance of $8{\sim}9\;{\AA}$ from the membrane surface. In addition, similar insulation distance ($7{\sim}9\;{\AA}$) of channel mouth from the bilayer surface charge was predicted by a 3-barrier-2-site model of energy profile for the permeation of $K^+$ ions. In conclusion, despite the differences in structure and fluidity of phospholipids in bilayers, the activities of maxi K channels in two charged membranes composed of PS or PI were strikingly similar and larger than those in bilayers of PE. These results suggest that the enhancement of conductance and $P_o$ of maxi channels is mostly due to negative charges in the phospholipid head groups.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.21-27
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• 2014

Sediment-laden water is problematic in aquatic ecosystem and for hydraulic structures in a watershed, and agriculture area in a watershed is one of source areas of nonpoint source (NPS), since soil surface typically exposures due to agricultural activities. Especially, severe sediment might flow into stream when agricultural area is located near stream like the Imha-dam watershed. Soil erosion is affected by precipitation, therefore there is a need to consider precipitation characteristics in soil erosion and best management practices (BMPs) simulation. The Web-based Spreadsheet Tool for the Estimation of Pollutant Load (STEPL WEB) allows estimating long-term sediment loads and the impact of best management practices to reduce sediment loads. STEPL WEB and predicted precipitation data by MIROC-ESM model was used to estimate sediment loads and its reduction by filter strip and conversion of agricultural area to forest in the future 30 years. The result indicates that approximately 70 % of agricultural area requires filter strip installation or that approximately 50 % of agricultural area needs to be converted to forest, for 41 % of sediment load reduction.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.149-163
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• 2004

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a critical component of the hydrologic cycle which influences economic activities as well as the natural ecosystem. While there have been numerous studies on ET estimation for homogeneous areas using point measurements of meteorological variables, monitoring of spatial ET has not been possible at landscape - or watershed - scales. We propose a site-specific application of the land surface model, which is enabled by spatially interpolated input data at the desired resolution. Gyunggi Province of South Korea was divided into a regular grid of 10 million cells with 30m spacing and hourly temperature, humidity, wind, precipitation and solar irradiance were estimated for each grid cell by spatial interpolation of synoptic weather data. Topoclimatology models were used to accommodate effects of topography in a spatial interpolation procedure, including cold air drainage on nocturnal temperature and solar irradiance on daytime temperature. Satellite remote sensing data were used to classify the vegetation type of each grid cell, and corresponding spatial attributes including soil texture, canopy structure, and phenological features were identified. All data were fed into a standalone version of SiB2(Simple Biosphere Model 2) to simulate latent heat flux at each grid cell. A computer program was written for data management in the cell - based SiB2 operation such as extracting input data for SiB2 from grid matrices and recombining the output data back to the grid format. ET estimates at selected grid cells were validated against the actual measurement of latent heat fluxes by eddy covariance measurement. We applied this system to obtain the spatial ET of the study area on a continuous basis for the 2001-2003 period. The results showed a strong feasibility of using spatial - data driven land surface models for operational monitoring of regional ET.