• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.131-141
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• 2024

The environmental impact assessment have been played important role for sustainable development of the country. Meantime, various studies have been conducted for scientific and effective environmental impact assessment. Howeverthe quantitative data such as regional distribution status and development characteristics according to the type of development project, environmental changes due to development projects, and spatial-temporal changes are insufficient, currently. In this study, we investigated the eco-friendliness of major development projects (industrial complex, urban development, tourist complexes, and waste disposal equipments) by integrating the EA-INDEX of each development projects which were reported by prior researches. As a result, we found that the eco-friendliness of development projects tended to gradually increase overtime due to the increase in eco-friendliness in the protection of living environment sector. The protection of living environment sector was a major factor in the the eco-friendliness of industrial complexes and urban development projects. In the case ofroad construction, landfill and tourist complex development projects, the natural environment conservation sector was a major factor in the eco-friendliness of the project. As a result of analyzing the eco-friendliness of development projects by local government, the eco-friendliness of development projects promoted and implemented in Ulsan, Jeonnam, and Gwangju was higher compared to other regions, and it was relatively low in Daejeon, Gyeongnam, and Daegu. This study is considered to be significant in that it conducted a quantitative analysis of the eco-friendliness of development projects carried out over a relatively long period of time throughout South Korea by dividing them by year and local government.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.44-53
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• 2024

Global interest in natural functional materials to strengthen human immunity is increasing due to the increase in immune-related diseases associated with COVID-19 and the aging population. In this study, we determined the potential therapeutic effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus stems on immune enhancement according to the cultivation region. The contents of eleutheroside B and E, which are chemical components of E. senticosus stems, were analyzed. We showed that the eleutheroside B content of E. senticosus stems in different cultivation regions ranged from 2.96±0.11 to 6.24±0.05 mg/g and from 1.11±0.05 to 2.11±0.03 mg/g in 70% ethanol and hot water extracts, respectively. The eleutheroside E content ranged from 4.93±0.20 to 10.79±0.03 mg/g and 1.75±0.14 to 3.64±0.05 mg/g in 70% ethanol and hot water extracts, respectively. In addition, the immunomodulatory effect of E. senticosus stems was evaluated using RAW 264.7 macrophages. The 70% ethanol extract of E. senticosus stems showed no cytotoxicity up to 200 ㎍/mL, and the hot water extract showed no cytotoxicity up to 500 ㎍/mL. Additionally, the E. senticosus stem extract significantly increased the production of nitric oxide and cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) compared to their production in the control group. These results suggest that E. senticosus stem extracts are a potential functional food material and ingredient to enhance the immune response.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to develop a comprehensive tool for assessing dietary guideline adherence among older Korean adults, focusing on the domains of food and nutrient intake, eating habits, and dietary culture. Methods: Candidate items were selected through a literature search and expert advice. The degree of adherence to dietary guidelines was then evaluated through a face-to-face survey conducted on 800 elderly individuals across five nationwide regions. The items for dietary guideline adherence evaluation tool were selected through exploratory factor analysis of the candidate items in each of the three areas of the dietary guidelines, and construct validity was verified by performing confirmatory factor analysis. Using the path coefficient of the structural equation model, weights were assigned to each area and item to calculate the dietary guideline adherence score. A rating system for the evaluation tool was established based on national survey results. Results: A total of twenty-eight items were selected for evaluating dietary guideline adherence among the elderly. Thirteen items related to food intake, seven to eating habits, and eight to dietary culture. The average score for dietary guideline adherence was 56.9 points, with 49.8 points in the food intake area, 63.2 points in the eating habits area, and 58.6 points in the dietary culture area. Statistically significant correlations were found between dietary guideline adherence scores and food literacy (r = 0.679) and nutrition quotient scores (r = 0.750). Conclusion: The developed evaluation tool for dietary guideline adherence among Korean older adults can be used as a simple and effective instrument for comprehensively assessing their food and nutrient intake, dietary habits, and dietary culture.

• Journal of the Korean earth science society
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-18
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• 2024

This study analyzed the effect of warming on PM_2.5 aerosol production in mid-latitude East Asia during June 2020 using PM_2.5 aerosol anomalies, which were identified by incorporating meteorological and climate data into the Weather Research Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) model. The decadal temperature change trend over a 30-year period (1991-2020) in East Asia showed that recent warming has been greater in summer than in winter. Summer warming in East Asia generated low and high pressure in the lower and upper troposphere, respectively, over China. The boundary between the lower tropospheric low and upper tropospheric high pressure sloped along the terrain from the Tibetan Plateau to Korea. The eastern China, Yellow Sea, and Korean regions experienced a convergence of warm and humid southwesterly airflows originating from the East China Sea with the development of a northwesterly Pacific high pressure. In June 2020, the highest temperatures were observed since 1973 in Korea. Meanwhile, enhanced warming in East Asia increased the production of PM_2.5 aerosols that travelled long distances from eastern China to Korea. PM_2.5 anomalies, which were derived solely by inputting meteorological and climatic data (1991-2020) into the WRF-Chem model and excluding emission variations, showed a positive distribution extending from eastern China to South Korea across the Yellow Sea as well as over the Pacific Northwest. Thus, the contribution of warming to PM_2.5 aerosols in East Asia during June 2020 was more than 50%. In particular, PM_2.5 aerosols were transported from eastern China to Korea through the Yellow Sea, where the warm and humid southwesterly airflows implied wet scavenging of sulfate but promoted nitrate production.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.146-159
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• 2024

In this study, a study on the production technology of the Buddha statue and the production of raw material origin was conducted through scientific analysis on the Bronze seated Bodhisattva Statue of Goseongsa Temple, a treasure. As a result of microstructure analysis through a metal microscope, it was confirmed that the microstructure of the Bronze seated Bodhisattva Statue of Goseongsa Temple was a process-type dendritic structure, and the casting structure of bronze was well represented, so it was manufactured through casting. Subsequently, as a result of analyzing the alloy composition ratio through SEM-EDS, it was identified as a ternary alloy with 81.26 wt% of copper (Cu) and 16.42 wt% of tin (Sn) and 1.72 wt% of lead (Pb). The results of the analysis of lead isotope ratios using a thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS) were substituted into the distribution of lead isotope ratios on the Korean Peninsula, it was shown in corresponding to Jeolla-do and Chungcheong-do regions and North and South Gyeongsang Province. This suggests that the raw materials used in their production were likely sourced from the mines around Goseong Temple in Gangjin. Despite the fact that the statue is a medium and large Buddha with a total height of 51 centimeters, 1.72 wt% of lead (Pb) was found as a result of alloy composition ratio analysis, which showed a similar composition to the lead content ratio of small bronze and gilt-bronze Buddha statues. Therefore, we compared and analyzed the results of the analysis of the composition ratio of the alloys of bronze and gilt bronze statues, which has been scientifically analyzed with a compositional age similar to that of the Bronze seated Bodhisattva Statue of Goseongsa Temple. Comparison results, Various factors, such as the size of the Buddha statue as well as its stylistic characteristics and the age of composition, may exist in determining the alloy composition ratio of the bronze and gilt bronze Buddha statues, and it was confirmed that the alloy composition ratio or casting technology was properly adjusted when the Buddha statue was created. In other words, it is judged that a more comprehensive system of Buddha statue production technology should be investigated by conducting archaeological and art history studies on stylistic characteristics and age of composition, as well as scientific analysis results such as observation of internal structure, microstructure observation, and analysis of alloy composition ratio using radiation transmission irradiation.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.363-375
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• 2024

Waterbody change detection using satellite images has recently been carried out in various regions in South Korea, utilizing multiple types of sensors. This study utilizes optical satellite images from Landsat and Sentinel-2 based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) to analyze long-term surface water area changes in four monitored small and medium-sized water supply dams and agricultural reservoirs in South Korea. The analysis covers 19 years for the water supply dams and 27 years for the agricultural reservoirs. By employing image analysis methods such as normalized difference water index, Canny Edge Detection, and Otsu'sthresholding for waterbody detection, the study reliably extracted water surface areas, allowing for clear annual changes in waterbodies to be observed. When comparing the time series data of surface water areas derived from satellite images to actual measured water levels, a high correlation coefficient above 0.8 was found for the water supply dams. However, the agricultural reservoirs showed a lower correlation, between 0.5 and 0.7, attributed to the characteristics of agricultural reservoir management and the inadequacy of comparative data rather than the satellite image analysis itself. The analysis also revealed several inconsistencies in the results for smaller reservoirs, indicating the need for further studies on these reservoirs. The changes in surface water area, calculated using GEE, provide valuable spatial information on waterbody changes across the entire watershed, which cannot be identified solely by measuring water levels. This highlights the usefulness of efficiently processing extensive long-term satellite imagery data. Based on these findings, it is expected that future research could apply this method to a larger number of dam reservoirs with varying sizes,shapes, and monitoring statuses, potentially yielding additional insights into different reservoir groups.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.143-154
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• 2024

Heat waves caused by climate change are rapidly increasing health damage to vulnerable groups, and to prevent this, the national, regional, and local governments are establishing climate crisis adaptation policy. A representative climate crisis adaptation policy to reduce heat wave damage is to expand the number of cooling centers. Because it is highly effective in a short period of time, most metropolitan local governments, except Jeonbuk, include the project as an adaptation policy. However, the criteria for selecting a cooling centers are different depending on the budget and non-budget, so the utilization rate and effectiveness of the cooling centers are all different. Therefore, in this study, we developed logistic regression models that can predict and evaluate areas with a high probability of expanding cooling centers in order to implement adaptation policy in local governments. In Incheon Metropolitan City, which consists of various heat wave-vulnerable environments due to the coexistence of the old city and the new city, a logistic model was developed to predict areas where heat waves can be cooling centered by dividing it into Ganghwa·Ongjin-gun and other regions, taking into account socioeconomic and environmental differences. As a result of the study, the statistical model for the Ganghwa·Ogjin-gun region showed that the higher the ground surface temperature and the more and more the number of elderly people over 65 years old, the higher the possibility of location of cooling centers, and the prediction accuracy was about 80.93%. The developed logistic regression model can predict and evaluate areas with a high potential as cooling centers by considering regional environmental and social characteristics, and is expected to be used for priority selection and management when designating additional cooling centers in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Quaternary Research
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• v.33 no.1_2
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• pp.1-23
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• 2021

In response to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, the global mean temperature is rising rapidly. In particular, the warming of the Arctic is two to three times faster than the rest. Associated with the rapid Arctic warming, the sea ice shows decreasing trends in all seasons. The faster Arctic warming is due to ice-albedo feedback by the presence of snow and ice in polar regions, which have higher reflectivity than the ocean, the bare land, or vegetation, higher long-wave heat loss to space than lower latitudes by lower surface temperature in the Arctic than lower latitudes, different stability of atmosphere between the Arctic and lower latitudes, where low stability leads to larger heat losses to atmosphere from surface by larger latent heat fluxes than the Arctic, where high stability, especially in winter, prohibits losing heat to atmosphere, increase in clouds and water vapor in the Arctic atmosphere that subsequently act as green house gases, and finally due to the increase in sensible heat fluxes from low latitudes to the Arctic via lower troposphere. In contrast to the rapid Arctic warming, in midlatitudes, especially in eastern Asia and eastern North America, cold air outbreaks occur more frequently and last longer in recent decades. Two pathways have been suggested to link the Arctic warming to cold air outbreaks over midlatitudes. The first is through troposphere in synoptic-scales by enhancing the Siberian high via a development of Rossby wave trains initiated from the Arctic, especially the Barents-Kara Seas. The second is via stratosphere by activating planetary waves to stratosphere and beyond, that leads to warming in the Arctic stratosphere and increase in geopotential height that subsequently weakens the polar vortex and results in cold air outbreaks in midlatitudes for several months. There exists lags between the Arctic warming and cold events in midlatitudes. Thus, understanding chain reactions from the Arctic warming to midlatitude cooling could help improve a predictability of seasonal winter weather in midlatitudes. This study reviews the results on the Arctic warming and its connection to midlatitudes and examines the trends in surface temperature and the Arctic sea ice.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.261-270
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• 2024

Background: Various researchers are calculating the health adjusted life expectancy (HALE) at the regional level in South Korea using several methods, most studies merely enumerate the differences in healthy life expectancy based on social characteristics. This study aims to analyze the association between various sociodemographic factors and HALE at the regional level. Methods: To calculate HALE, we utilized the various data sources, including National Health Insurance claims data, and applied the Sullivan's method. We conducted multiple linear regression with regional socioeconomic variables from Korean Statistical Information Service. For the multiple linear regression analysis, we designed three regression models. Model 1 comprised solely socioeconomic variables, model 2 involved both socioeconomic variables and individual health behaviors, and model 3 integrated model 2 with healthcare utilization. Results: The analysis shows that an increase in financial independence (p<0.05), population density (p<0.1), and the number of doctors (p<0.05) associated with an increase in HALE, whereas an increase in the number of beds (p<0.01) was associated with a decrease in HALE. In case of the obesity rate, in model 2 (p<0.1) and model 3 (p<0.05), there was a negative association between HALE and obesity rate. Conclusion: Amidst various variables, it was observed that increased financial independence in specific regions had association with an increase in HALE, highlighting the need for stronger local governance in South Korea. Additionally, the inverse association between hospital beds and HALE suggests several implications, such as the appropriate deployment of healthcare resources. To gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between hospital beds and HALE, further analysis distinguishing different types of hospital beds across healthcare institutions seems necessary.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.227-243
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• 2023

The Asiatic pink stem borer, Sesamia inferens (Walker, 1856) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a pest that attacks rice stems. In this study, we estimated the annual generation of insect in several regions of the Republic of Korea. Adult trapping using a sex pheromone trap detected the occurrence of S. inferens adults in the three northernmost areas around 38° latitude and showed that the insect inhabits all of Korea. In most areas investigated, the seasons of the adult generations estimated using the single-sine degree-day model did not deviate from the corresponding observed seasons of adult occurrence. We estimated that the overwintering larvae hypothetically-estimated using the model could be originated from the last generation of adults. When larvae collected in paddy fields during the autumn season in a few middle and southern areas were reared at 25℃, ca. 70% of pupae did not show additional larval molting before their pupation. All larvae collected in early March in a southern area (Goseong, Gyeongsangnam-do) pupated without additional larval molting when reared at 25℃. Based on these results, we presumed that S. inferens could overwinter as mainly the last instar larval stage in the area. Taken together, we conclude that S. inferens primarily has two generations per year in areas around 38° latitude, and three generations in the areas between 35.3° and 37.3° latitude. In addition, approximately 35% of insects captured by the sex pheromone trap were species other than S. inferens, as determined by analyzing the nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene. These species were not morphologically misidentified as S. inferens.