• Advances in environmental research
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.17-41
• /
• 2021

Kazakhstan's cities experience high concentrations levels of atmospheric particulate matter (PM), which is well-known for its highly detrimental effect on the human health. A further increase in PM concentrations in the future could lead to a higher air pollution-caused morbidity and mortality, causing an increase in healthcare expenditures by the government. However, to prevent elevated PM concentrations in the future, more stringent standards could be implemented by lowering current maximum allowable PM concentration limit to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)'s limits. Therefore, this study aims to find out what impact this change in environmental policy towards PM has on state economy in the long run. Future PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were estimated using multiple linear regression based on gross regional product (GRP) and population growth parameters. Dose-response model was based on World Health Organization's approach for the identification of mortality, morbidity and healthcare costs due to air pollution. Analysis of concentrations revealed that only 6 out of 21 cities of Kazakhstan did not exceed the EU limit on PM10 concentration. Changing environmental standards resulted in the 71.7% decrease in mortality and 77% decrease in morbidity cases in all cities compared to the case without changes in environmental policy. Moreover, the cost of morbidity and mortality associated with air pollution decreased by $669 million in 2030 and $2183 million in 2050 in case of implementation of OECD standards. Thus, changing environmental regulations will be beneficial in terms of both of mortality reduction and state budget saving.

• Nutritional Sciences
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.42-47
• /
• 2003

The objective of this study was to examine how circulating leptin concentrations and resting energy expenditures (REE) are related to body composition in obese adults, and to examine differences in these parameters according to gender. Twenty-three subjects, 6 males and 17 females, were recruited from patients with a body mass index (BMI) of greater than 27 at the Obesity Clinic of the K University Hospital. Anthropometric assessments and biochemical analyses were performed, and REEs were measured. In spite of having similar BMI values the plasma leptin levels of females (20.0$\pm$6.5 ng/ml) were significantly higher (p<.05) than those of males (14.2$\pm$6.1) ng/ml). In females, plasma leptin concentrations were found to be positively related to body weight. BMI, waist-hip ratio (WHR), fat mass (FM), body fat, and to the circumferences of forearm, waist and hip (p<.0001). However, in males, plasma leptin concentrations were positively related only to suprailiac thickness (p<.05). The higher plasma leptin levels in females compared to males may, at least partially. be explained by the females' higher subcutaneous fat mass. Plasma leptin concentrations appeared to reflect not only total fat mass but also regional fat distribution, especially in females. REE values of males (2254.3$\pm$256.2 kcal/day) were significantly higher (p＜.01) than those of females (1799.1$\pm$454.7 kcal/day). REE values for females were positively related to body weight, BMI, lean body mass (LBM), FM, body fat, and to the circumferences of waist and hip (p<.05); however, REE values for males were (positively) related only to LBM (p<.05). REE values were not related to plasma leptin concentrations for either males or females, indicating that the plasma level of leptin might not be a predictor for REE value.

• IE interfaces
• /
• v.15 no.1
• /
• pp.82-88
• /
• 2002

A study was conducted to develop user-centered kitchen furniture and workspace to reduce fatigue and to prevent housewives's disorders such as low back pain and musculoskeletal disorders from housekeeping activities. A questionnaire survey and interview were performed on 150 households those live in 32Pyung-type($105m^2$) apartment in Seoul vicinity. Also actual housekeeping activities for 24 hours were video-taped for further motion analysis. Results of the study revealed that housewives complained the inconvenience and small size of storage space, and worksurface height as the most important problems to be considered for redesign. And they responded, if feasible, sitting is preferred over standing while they are working. After adapting a sit/stand chair in the kitchen, a physiological experiment measuring heart rate(HR) and oxygen consumption($VO_2$) as response variables was conducted to examine the effects of sit/stand chair in reducing physiological demand during housekeeping activities. The results showed that working on sit/stand chair reduced energy expenditures by maximum of 30% and 31.0% in terms of HR and $VO_2$, respectively. Also rearrangement of kitchen structure based on motion analysis showed that walking distance during daily housekeeping activities can be reduced by 5.5% on the average. Hence, it is concluded that adapting a sit/stand chair in the kitchen could reduce fatigue and occupational disorders of housewives from extended housekeeping activities.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.149-153
• /
• 1993

Daily energy expenditures (DEE) of 82 co-eds in a University were estimated simultaneously by use of calorie counter and 15-min check list diary for 3 days, including a weekend day. The results are summarized as follows. The mean values of DEE from 15-min check list diary and calorie counter were 1967kcal and 1649kcal, respectively. DEE obtained with 15-min check list diary seems to be consistent with the results made by others concerning DEE of college female in Korea, but DEE by calorie counter was lower than that. However, DEE by calorie counter show high correlations with anthropometric indices of subjects and DEE by 15-min check list diary. Therefore, DEE by 15-min check list diary was taken as standard and regression equation for predicting DEE of subjects were developed: DEE by 15-min check list diary =3.31186 + 1.18837 $\times$ DEE by calorie counter. This technique for measuring DEE permits us to have more accurate estimate of DEE and acceptable to the subjects. When the subjects classified as underweight, normal, overweight according to relative body weight(RBW), DEE and DEE per kg of body weight were significantly different from each other between three groups based on RBW. The frequency of 15-minute periods with a categorical value of 1 was significantly higher in overweight than underweight and normal groups and the frequency of a categorical value 3 was significantly lower in overweight than underweight group. From the results shown above, physical activity level of overweight group was lower than that of normal and underweight groups.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Illuminating and Electrical Installation Engineers
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.16-26
• /
• 2010

The transmission valuation methodology we propose here captures the interaction between generation and transmission investment decisions recognizing that a transmission expansion can impact the profitability of new resources investment, so that a methodology should consider both the objectives of investors in resources and the transmission planner. In this perspective, this paper purports to develop the mixed-integer programming based transmission expansion planning optimization software, which is well designed to determine the construction time and place of new generators, transmission lines, and substations as well as their capacities to minimize total expenditures related to their investment and operations while meeting technical constraints such as capacity margin, constitution ratio of power resources, spinning reserves, energy and fuel constraints, transmission line outages and losses, pi-type branching, and so on. Finally, Garver's simple system is adopted to validate not simply the accuracy but the efficiency of the proposed model in this paper.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.39-44
• /
• 2018

Exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) 2a-knockout (KO) mice exhibit accelerated diet-induced obesity and are resistant to leptin-mediated adipostatic signaling from the hypothalamus to adipose tissue, with sustained food intake. However, the impact of Epac2a deficiency on hypothalamic regulation of sympathetic nervous activity (SNA) has not been elucidated. This study was performed to elucidate the response of Epac2a-KO mice to dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy and acute cold stress. Compared to age-matched wild-type mice, Epac2a-KO mice showed higher energy expenditures and expression of myogenin and uncoupling protein-1 in skeletal muscle (SM) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), respectively. Epac2a-KO mice exhibited greater endurance to dexamethasone and cold stress. In wild-type mice, exogenous leptin mimicked the responses observed in Epac2a-KO mice. This suggests that leptin-mediated hypothalamic signaling toward SNA appears to be intact in these mice. Hence, the potentiated responses of SM and BAT may be due to their high plasma leptin levels.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.987-994
• /
• 2015

This study examines how single-person household expenditure patterns are different with respect to age and income groups using Tobit model. The expenditure data of the national household survey from 2006 to 2012 were used. The results show that income elasticities of all items are greater than 1 except for food & beverage, housing, water, electricity & gas, and Communication. Income elasticities are significantly different among consuming items. Additionally the income elasticities are also different between various age and income groups of single-person households. Therefore governments and businesses have to take this into account when devising their policies or strategies regarding single-person households. Especially, businesses need to adopt a strategy targeted at single-person households with high income and buying power such as unmarried professional people. As the number of single-person household increases the proportion of expenditures on necessities such as beverage, food, and energy is expected to decrease while that on services increases. Consequently policy responses are required to prepare for the expansion of service industries such as health, hospital, and housekeeping services.