• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.188-193
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• 2018

Objectives : Clozapine is a widely prescribed antipsychotic drug for schizophrenia and is known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease due to its metabolic side effects. However, little is known about the effect of clozapine on the platelet activation, another important factor in the development of cardiovascular disease. In this study, we tried to investigate the effect of clozapine on platelet activity in patients with schizophrenia by comparing the mean platelet component (MPC) values before and after the clozapine administration. Methods : A retrospective review of medical records of patients with schizophrenia, who newly started clozapine treatment from September 1st, 2003 to April 30th, 2007 at the Department of Psychiatry, Konyang University Hospital in Republic of Korea was performed. The final statistical analysis included 14 participants. Bayer ADVIA $120^{(R)}$ system was used to measure MPC. Results : Among the 14 participants, five subjects were males (28.60%), and ten subjects were females (71.40%). The mean age of participants was $37.50{\pm}11.64years$. Average of duration of illness was $91.00{\pm}93.96months$, with the mean dosage of clozapine taken by participants at the time of the last blood test was $337.50{\pm}109.52mg$. The mean MPC measurement before and after receiving clozapine was $26.12{\pm}2.22g/dL$ and $25.14{\pm}2.08g/dL$ respectively. Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in MPC levels after clozapine administration (V=16, p=0.024). Conclusions : Decreased MPC levels after clozapine administration implies that clozapine may increase platelet activation which could have an adverse effect on the occurrence of thromboembolic disease. Our findings also suggest that careful monitoring of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, such as platelets activity, is necessary when administering clozapine.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.848-857
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• 2018

Recently, around the world, active development of new renewable energy sources including solar power, waves, and fuel cells, etc. has taken place. Particularly, floating offshore wind farms have been developed for saving costs through large scale production, using high-quality wind power and minimizing noise damage in the ocean area. The development of floating wind farms requires an evaluation of the Maritime Safety Audit Scheme under the Maritime Safety Act in Korea. Floating wind farms shall be assessed by applying the line and area concept for systematic development, management and utilization of specified sea water. The development of appropriate evaluation methods and standards is also required. In this study, proper standards for marine traffic surveys and assessments were established and a systemic treatment was studied for assessing marine spatial area. First, a marine traffic data collector using AIS or radar was designed to conduct marine traffic surveys. In addition, assessment methods were proposed such as historical tracks, traffic density and marine traffic pattern analysis applying the line and area concept. Marine traffic density can be evaluated by spatial and temporal means, with an adjusted grid-cell scale. Marine traffic pattern analysis was proposed for assessing ship movement patterns for transit or work in sea areas. Finally, conceptual design of a Marine Traffic and Safety Assessment Solution (MaTSAS) was competed that can be analyzed automatically to collect and assess the marine traffic data. It could be possible to minimize inaccurate estimation due to human errors such as data omission or misprints through automated and systematic collection, analysis and retrieval of marine traffic data. This study could provides reliable assessment results, reflecting the line and area concept, according to sea area usage.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.282-293
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• 2018

The heading response of rice varieties is determined by the combined effects of their basic vegetative phase (BVP), photoperiod-sensitivity (PS), and thermo-sensitivity (TS). This study was performed to analyze the effect of differences among heading ecotypes of rice on their heading response in the field. To do this, we investigated the heading response of 15 varieties grown under different day-length and temperature conditions in a phytotron. The characteristics of heading ecotypes were compared to the heading responses in the field-grown rice varieties that were used in the phytotron experiments. The ranges of these characteristics across the 15 varieties were 18 - 35 days for BVP, 12 - 61 days for PS, and 12 - 35 days for TS. In comparisons of coupled varieties that differed only in a single trait among BVP, PS, and TS, the variety with the longer BVP and that with the higher PS had a longer period from sowing to heading (DTH), while the variety with the higher TS had a shorter DTH. The comparative magnitude of DTH in the coupled varieties followed the PS trait when BVP and PS were involved, the BVP trait when BVP and TS were involved, and the PS trait when PS and TS were involved in the heading response of field-grown rice. When comparing the coupled varieties with different traits of the three examined factors, the heading response was consistent with the PS trait. The DTH in all 15 varieties was significantly correlated with the PS, and the DTH in 9 selected varieties with a relatively small PS was correlated with BVP. The reduced DTH of rice in the July 10 seeding treatment compared to those in the June 25 and May 11 seeding treatments was positively associated with PS, but not with TS. We concluded that the heading response of rice varieties under natural conditions in Korea is mainly governed by the PS trait and is also greatly affected by the BVP trait when the PS is small.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.152-168
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• 2019

The element arsenic, which is abundant in the Earth's crust, is used for various industrial purposes including materials for disease treatment and household goods. Various human activities, such as the disposal of soil waste, metal mining and smelting, and combustion of fossil fuels, have caused the pollution of the environment with arsenic. Recently, guidelines for arsenic in rice have been adopted by the Korean ministry of food and drug safety to prevent health risks based on rice consumption. Because of the exposure to arsenic and its accumulation in the human body through various channels, such as air inhalation, skin contact, ingestion of drinking water, and food consumption, integrated multimedia risk assessment is required to adopt appropriate risk management policies. Therefore, integrated human health risk assessment was carried out in this study using integrated exposure assessment based on multimedia (e.g., air, water, and soil) and multi-route (e.g., oral, inhalation, and dermal) scenarios. The results show that oral uptake via drinking water is the most common pathway of arsenic into the human body, accounting for 57%-96% of the total arsenic exposure. Among various age groups, the highest exposures to arsenic were observed in infants because the body weight of infants is low and the surface areas of infant bodies are large. Based on the results of the exposure assessment, the cancer and non-cancer risks were calculated. The cancer risk for CTE and RME is in the range of 2.3E-05 to 6.7E-05 and thus is negligible because it does not exceed the cancer probability of 1.0E-04 for all age groups. On the other hand, the cancer risk for RME varies from 6.4E-05 to 1.8E-04 and from 1.3E-04 to 1.8E-04 for infants and preschool children, exceeding the excess cancer risk of 1.0E-04. The non-cancer risks range from 5.4E-02 to 1.9E-01 and from 1.5E-01 to 6.8E-01, respectively. They do not exceed the hazard index 1 for all scenarios and all ages.

• 한국노년학
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.525-540
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate what kind of experiences the deaf elderly would have in the course of life. It also aimed to promote the understanding of their living difficulties and culture among people with normal hearing and provide basic data to help them live with others as members of the community. Phenomenological qualitative research was conducted as part of the methodology. The subjects include seven deaf old people. Based on the results of in-depth interview and analysis, the life experiences of the deaf elderly were categorized into "unforgettable wounds," "life in the community," "life with the family," "marriage of the deaf elderly", and "living by adjusting to reality." First, the subcategories of "unforgettable wounds" include "receiving no treatment for fever," "damage by the Korean War," "alienation from the family," and "people's cold eyes." It turned out that the deaf elderly had led a life, suffering from the heart wounds that they could not forget. Second, the subcategories of "life in the community" include "inconvenience in life," "disadvantages in life," and "severed life." The deaf elderly were not only subjected to inconvenience and disadvantages in life, but also suffered loneliness, being cut off from the community. Third, the subcategories of "life with the family" include "not communicating with children," "being abandoned again," "being used by the family," "being lonely even with the family," and "wishing to live independently from the family." The deaf elderly were not supported by their families and were abandoned or used by them, leading a solitary life. Fourth, the subcategories of "marriage of the deaf elderly" include"send as a surrogate mother," "frequent remarriage and divorce," "lean on as a married couple." Deaf elderly form their own culture of the marriage and lean on each other. Finally, the subcategories of "living by adjusting to reality" include "getting help from neighbors," "behaving oneself right in life," "learning Hangul," "living by working," "living freely," "living by missing," and "controlling the impulse to end life," "resorting to religion." The deaf elderly made the most alienated and vulnerable group with no access to benefits due to their limitations as a linguistic and social minority, but they made efforts to form their own culture and adjust to reality for themselves. Based on those findings, the study made the following proposals: first, there is a need for practical approaches to heal the ineffaceable wounds in the hearts of deaf elderly. Second, there is a need for policies to help them experience no inconvenience and disadvantages as members of community and communicate with people with normal hearing. Third, there should be practical approaches to enable them to get recognition and support from their families and share love with them. Finally, there should be practical policy approaches to help people with normal hearing understand the culture of deaf elderly and assist the deaf elderly to receive supports from the community and live with others within the community.

• Journal of International Area Studies (JIAS)
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.217-244
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• 2018

As Chinese insurance market grows rapidly due to market reforms, China got recognition as second-largest insurance market in the world in 2016. However Korean insurance companies have had difficulties to grow in Chinese insurance market despite Chinese participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the growth of chinese insurance market. The reason for the decline in Korean insurance companies is economic retaliation due to the deployment of THAAD in Korea. However, this is not a fundamental reason. The underlying cause of the effects of economic retaliation is the result of insufficient negotiations in Korea-China FTA services sector. In Service sector of Korea-China FTA, the level of concession between Korea and China differs greatly, when comparing China and South Korea's FTA. In addition, it has only been a few years since China collected the position of the WTO Doha Agenda, which currently deals with concessions on intellectual property rights and services. More important is that the Korea-China FTA service sector, as it stopped short of being protected by the most-favored-nation state treatment level when Korean insurance companies entered China. Further negotiations to supplement the weak points in the Korea-China FTA service sector were promised in December 2017, but international tensions over THAAD deployment made it impossible to hold such negotiations. However, due to changes in international affairs in 2018, the first additional negotiation was decided and held. This paper implicates strategies of further negotiation between Korea and China for service and investment chapter. Consequently, the aim of this paper suggests directions how to re-enter Chinese insurance market to Korean insurance companies.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.663-670
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• 2018

Objective: Radio-contrast abdomino-pelvic computed tomography (APCT) is considered the gold standard diagnostic tool for an acute abdomen in the emergency department. On the other hand, APCT has a risk of contrast-induced nephropathy. Emergency physicians evaluate the creatinine (Cr) level prior to taking a APCT for the above reason but it takes time to evaluation the serum Cr level. This study hypothesized that Cr measured by a point-of-care test (POCT) can shorten the time to making clinically important decisions for patients with an acute abdomen. Methods: This prospective randomized study was conducted between March 2017 and October 2017. The subjects were divided into two groups (Cr measured by laboratory vs. Cr measured by POCT). To analyze the clinical acceptability for creatinine, agreement was demonstrated graphically by Bland-Altman plots. This study compared the time to make a clinically important decision by physicians and the length of stay at the emergency department in both groups. Results: A total of 76 patients were eligible for the study, 38 patients were assigned to each group. There was no statistically significant difference in the time to the first medical examination (P=0.222) and emergency department stay time (P=0.802). On the other hand, the time to recognition of the Cr level (P<0.001), time to performing APCT (P<0.001), time to decision making (P<0.001), and time to initiation of treatment (P<0.001) were shortened significantly in the point-of-care creatinine group. Conclusion: In this study, the POCT for creatinine can allow rapid decision making by shortening the time to performing the radio-contrast APCT than the laboratory for patients with an acute abdomen.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1507-1515
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• 2018

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by prostatic hypertrophy mainly in the elderly. Corni Fructus is reportedly effective in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, but its efficacy on BPH has not been previously studied. In the present study, we investigated whether or not a Corni Fructus water extract (CF) could prevent testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats. To induce BPH, castrated rats were subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (TP). CF was administered daily by oral gavage, along with the TP injections, and finasteride, a selective inhibitor of $5{\alpha}$-reductase type 2, was used as a positive control. The results show that CF significantly reduces prostate weight and histopathologic changes while also decreasing levels of serum dihydrotestosterone, similar to the finasteride-treated group. CF also suppresses TP-induced $5{\alpha}$-reductase expression and concentration in prostate tissue and serum, respectively. Furthermore, CF markedly inhibited TP-induced expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and the steroid receptor coactivator 1, an AR coactivator, which was associated with a decrease in prostate-specific antigen levels in both serum and prostate tissue. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that CF weakens BPH status by inactivation of $5{\alpha}$-reductase and AR.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.217-223
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• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of seeding dates on grassland productivity and botanical composition in oversown hilly pasture located in Pyeongchang of South Korea. Four treatment groups were established based on the seeding dates of grass mixture: T1, August 13; T2, August 27; T3, September 10; and T4, September 24. Evaluation of seasonal changes in grass botanical composition revealed the highest ratios of grass in T1 and T2 (81-100% grass) and the lowest in T4 (46-90 % grass). In the plant length, the first harvest time was longer than other cutting times and last harvest time was the lowest. The total dry matter yield of grass was highest in T2 ($9,042kg\;ha^{-1}$) and T1 ($8,845kg\;ha^{-1}$) and lowest in T4 ($5,086kg\;ha^{-1}$). The findings of the present study suggest that seeding by late August provide the most desirable results for vegetation and grassland productivity in oversown hilly pasture, Pyeongchang of South Korea.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2019

Rapeseed meal, which is a byproduct of rapeseed oil extraction, improves crop productivity by supplying nutrients to the soil. The present study aimed to manufacture fermented rapeseed meal compost using two effective microbial agents and evaluate their efficiency as fertilizer. To types of fermented rapeseed meal, manufactured using either a bio-carrier or microbial agent, showed no differences in pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and total nitrogen content. However, the contents of $NH_4-N$ and $NO_3-N$ as inorganic nitrogen were increased by 5.6 times and 1.5 times, respectively, after 5 d of fermentation. Rapeseed meal fermented for 5 d was applied to tomato a basal fertilizer and after eight weeks, the plant height increased in all fermented rapeseed treatments compared to that in the chemical fertilizer treatment, and also the quantum yield of photosystem II (PS II) showed the same trend. The total nitrogen content of tomato leaves treated with a microbial fermented rapeseed meal was twice as high as that of that treated with a chemical fertilizer. It was confirmed that the increase in the tomato height was an effect of the rapeseed meal containing inorganic nitrogen, which can easily be absorbed by plants. From these results, it is considered that fermented rapeseed meal manufactured with an effective microbial agent for 5 d showed the highest inorganic nutrient content and greatest growth enhancement in tomato.