• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.71-80
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• 2019

Effects of environmental factors on phytoplankton succession and community structure were studied in Lake Chuncheon located in Bukhan River, South Korea. The data were sampled at three sites such as CC1 (lower side), CC2 (middle side), and CC3 (upper side of Lake Chuncheon) from 2014 to 2017. The annual average precipitation in Lake Chuncheon was 992 mm during the study period (2014~2017), and the annual precipitation was lower than 800 mm in 2014 and 2015. The annual average water temperature, total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN) ranged from 17.0 to $21.1^{\circ}C$, 0.012 to $0.019mg\;L^{-1}$, and 1.272 to $1.922mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. The TN concentration was relatively high in 2015 compared with the other study years, as a drought continued from 2014 to 2015. When comparing the correlation between precipitation and environmental factors, water temperature (p<0.01) and TP(p<0.05) showed positive correlations with rainfall. The average numbers of phytoplankton cells by branch were 2,094, 2,182, and $3,108cells\;mL^{-1}$ in CC1, CC2, and CC3, respectively. CC3 is considered advantageous for phytoplankton growth, even in small pollution sources due to low water depth. As a result of analyzing the relationship between precipitation and phytoplankton, the correlation between the two was shown to be high for 2016 (p<0.01) and 2017 (p<0.05), which is when precipitation was high. However, the correlation was not clear to 2014 and 2015. The relationship between water temperature and phytoplankton indicated a negative correlation with diatoms (p<0.01), yet positive correlations with green algae (p<0.01) and cyanobacteria (p<0.01). Diatoms increased in spring and autumn, which are characterized by low water temperature, and green algae and cyanobacteria increased in summer, when the water temperature is high. Our findings provide a scientific basis for characteristics of phytoplankton and water quality and management at the Lake Chuncheon.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.112-117
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• 2019

Herbal medicines are widely used as therapeutic products in many countries. Corni fructus (CF), the dried ripe sarcocarp of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (Cornaceae), has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and has been reported to be effective for the prevention and treatment of various diseases, such as kidney diseases and diabetes. Recent research on CF has documented a wide spectrum of therapeutic properties, which include anti-inflammatory, ant-oxidative, immunomodulatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, there is no information on its safety. Therefore, in this study, the toxicity of water extract of CF to ICR mice was investigated. The mice received a single dose of water extract of CF (1,000, 2,000, and 5,000 mg/kg of body weight) via the oral route. Mortality, clinical signs, body weight changes, gross findings, and weights of the principal organs after 14 d were then assessed. The results revealed no adverse effects of CF as determined by clinical signs, body weights, or organ weights and no gross pathological findings in any of the treatment groups. These results suggest that the 50% lethal dose and approximated lethal dose of CF extract is over 5,000 mg/kg. The findings provide scientific evidence for the safety of CFs.

• Journal of the Society of Disaster Information
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.280-289
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• 2022

Purpose: In this study, the characteristics of fire occurrence according to ignition heat sources such as operating equipment, cigarette/lighter fire, and flame/fire were analyzed. Method: One-way ANOVA and cross-analysis were used to analyze the characteristics of fire occurrence by verifying the difference between the ignition environment, fire damage status and scale, and cause of ignition according to the ignition heat source. Result: The fire occurrence characteristics were analyzed through As a result of the analysis, it was found that fires caused by operating devices occurred more frequently on weekdays than other ignition heat sources, and the number of victims and the number of victims were the highest, so mobilization of firefighting power and property damage were the greatest. The initial ignition was generated by electric and electronic devices, and the combustion was expanded by the synthetic resin. For fires caused by cigarette and lighter fires, the most fires occurred on Saturdays and Sundays, and the mobilization of the police force was more characteristic than the mobilization of the firefighting force. In particular, it was found that the initial ignition and combustion expansion were caused by paper, wood, and hay. Fires caused by sparks and sparks occurred most frequently on Saturdays and Sundays, and initial ignition and combustion expansion were found to be caused by paper, wood, and hay. In particular, it showed the characteristic that it occurred in the place farthest from the fire station. The common characteristic of all ignition heat sources was that the fire occurred most frequently in the afternoon time, and the fire type was predominantly the building structure fire, and only the ignition point was burned the most. Conclusion: In order to prevent fire and minimize damage, it is necessary to analyze the tendency of fire occurrence and to prepare appropriate preparations according to the fire occurrence factors. In order to analyze the characteristics of fire occurrence using public data in the future, it is necessary to standardize disaster data and to open and activate data.

• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.38 no.6_2
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• pp.1723-1735
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• 2022

Landslides are one of the most prevalent natural disasters, threating both humans and property. Also landslides can cause damage at the national level, so effective prediction and prevention are essential. Research to produce a landslide susceptibility map with high accuracy is steadily being conducted, and various models have been applied to landslide susceptibility analysis. Pixel-based machine learning models such as frequency ratio models, logistic regression models, ensembles models, and Artificial Neural Networks have been mainly applied. Recent studies have shown that the kernel-based convolutional neural network (CNN) technique is effective and that the spatial characteristics of input data have a significant effect on the accuracy of landslide susceptibility mapping. For this reason, the purpose of this study is to analyze landslide vulnerability using a pixel-based deep neural network model and a patch-based convolutional neural network model. The research area was set up in Gangwon-do, including Inje, Gangneung, and Pyeongchang, where landslides occurred frequently and damaged. Landslide-related factors include slope, curvature, stream power index (SPI), topographic wetness index (TWI), topographic position index (TPI), timber diameter, timber age, lithology, land use, soil depth, soil parent material, lineament density, fault density, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI) were used. Landslide-related factors were built into a spatial database through data preprocessing, and landslide susceptibility map was predicted using deep neural network (DNN) and CNN models. The model and landslide susceptibility map were verified through average precision (AP) and root mean square errors (RMSE), and as a result of the verification, the patch-based CNN model showed 3.4% improved performance compared to the pixel-based DNN model. The results of this study can be used to predict landslides and are expected to serve as a scientific basis for establishing land use policies and landslide management policies.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.57-95
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• 2021

Korea's period for preservation of embryos is up to five years (the Bioethics Act). However, the study reviewed domestic and foreign laws and drew issues due to the recent demand that the development of related science and technology and the period limitation limit the rights of consent holder for embryo production. the first issue is that preserved embryos are intended for pregnancy, and it is important to ensure that the autonomy of the consent holder is protected through careful consideration based on information such as scientific evidence. the second is that regulations regarding the obligation to manage embryonic preservation institutions are needed. the third is to create a social atmosphere in which embryo creation, preservation, and disposal take place in a minimum range, considering the special status of embryos. based on this issue, the first of the proposals for rational improvement of the regulation and system about embryo preservation is the introduction of an environment in which sufficient explanation and appropriate consent can be exercised and to extend the reasons for the extension of the period, rather than specifying the specific period in law. the second is that institutionalization is necessary considering not only the obligation to manage preservation institutions but also the overall site, such as concerns that may arise as a result. lastly, we propose the introduction of a management method considering the future use of embryos, such as transfer to provide research purposes and donation of pregnancy purposes by others. this process should be a method of sufficient social discussion and consensus, as well as a general consideration of the family relationship with the born child.

• Journal of Ginseng Culture
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• v.4
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• pp.128-141
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• 2022

Baengnyeongdo Island, which belongs to Ongjin-gun, Incheon, is an island in the northernmost part of the West Sea in South Korea. Baengnyeong Island is the 15th largest island in Korea and covers an area of 51 km². The Korea Ginseng Corporation (KGC) investigated the possibility of growing ginseng on Baengnyeong Island in 1996. In 1997, thanks to the support of cultivation costs from Ongjin-gun, the first ginseng seedbed was built on Baengnyeong Island. In 1999, the seedlings were transplanted to a permanent field under a contract with KGC. In 2003, the first six-year-old ginseng harvest was performed, and KGC purchased all production according to the contract. Since then, KGC has signed on to grow ginseng until 2012 and purchased six-year-old ginseng until the fall of 2016. Since 2014, the GimpoPaju Ginseng Agricultural Cooperative Association has signed a ginseng production contract. According to a survey of nine 6-year-old ginseng fields (total 5,961 units) on Baengnyeong Island, the top five with good growth had a survival rate of 42.6 to 68%, and the bottom four with poor growth had an extremely low survival rate of 11.1 to 21.3%. The four fields with low survival rates were where hot peppers were planted before ginseng cultivation. It is believed that the excess nitrogen remaining in the soil due to the treatment of compost or manure during pepper cultivation causes ginseng roots to rot. The average incidence of Alternaria blight was 8.6%. Six six-year-old ginseng gardens were low at 1.1 to 4.7%, while the other three were high at 16.7 to 20.9%. It is assumed that the reason for the low survival rate and high incidence of Alternaria blight is a rain-leaking shield. Farmers used rain-leaking shields because the precipitation on Baengnyeong Island was smaller than on land. One field showed 3% of leaves with yellowish brown spots, a symptom of physiological disturbance of the leaf, which is presumed to be due to the excessive presence of iron in the soil. To increase the production of ginseng on Baengnyeong Island, it is necessary to develop a suitable ginseng cultivation method for the island, such as strengthening the field management based on the results of a scientific study of soil, using rain-resistant shading, and installing drip irrigation facilities. I hope that ginseng will become a new driving force for the development of Baengnyeong Island, allowing ginseng products and food to thrive in the beautiful natural environment of the island.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.111 no.2
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• pp.201-223
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• 2022

Currently, species extinctions are increasing due to climate change and continued anthropogenic impact. We selected 300 species for conservation with emphasis on plants co-occurring in the Baekdudaegan area, which is a large ecological axis of Korea. We aimed to investigate the vegetation community and environmental characteristics of Zabelia tyaihyonii in the limestone habitat among the target plant species in the Baekdudaegan region to derive effective conservation strategies. In Danyang-gun, Yeongwol-gun, and Jecheon-si, we selected 36 investigation sites where Z. tyaihyonii was present. We investigated the vegetation, flora, soil and physical environment. We also found notable plants such as Thalictrum petaloideum, Sillaphyton podagraria, and Neillia uekii at the investigation sites. We classified forest vegetation community types into 4 vegetation units and 7 species group types. With canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of the vegetation community and habitat factors, we determined the overall explanatory power to be 75.2%, and we classified the environmental characteristics of the habitat of Z. tyaihyonii into a grouping of three. Among these, we detected a relationship between the environmental factors elevation, slope, organic matter, rock ratio, pH, potassium, and sodium. We identified numerous rare and endemic plants, including Thalictrum petaloideum, in the investigation site, and determined that these groups needed to be preserved at the habitat level. In the classification of the vegetation units analyzed based on the emerging plants and the CCA, we reaffirmed the uniqueness and specificity of the vegetation community in the habitat of Z. tyaihyonii. We anticipate that our results will be used as scientific evidence for the empirical conservation of the native habitats of Z. tyaihyonii.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.185-200
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• 2022

The risk of various hazardous substances in aquatic environment comprises not only the concentration of substances in the environmental medium but also their accumulation in fish through complex food web and the health risks to humans through the fish. In Korea, the monitoring of residual toxicant in aquatic ecosystems began in 2016 following the enforcement of the Acts on registration and evaluation for the management of chemicals used in daily life (consumer chemical products), and attention has been paid to potentially hazardous substances attributed to them. Recently, studies have been carried out to investigate the distribution of these hazardous substances in the ecosystem and calculate their emission factors. These include the accumulation and transport of substances, such as detergents, dyes, fragrances, cosmetics, and disinfectants, within trophic levels. This study summarizes the results of recently published research on the inflow and distribution of hazardous substances from consumer chemical products to the aquatic environment and presents the scientific implication. Based on studies on aquatic environment monitoring techniques, this study suggests research directions for monitoring the residual concentration and distribution of harmful chemical substances in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, this study introduces the directions for research on trophic position analysis using compound specific isotope analysis and trophic magnification factors, which are needed to fulfill the contemporary requirements of selecting target fish based on the survey of major fish that inhabit domestic waters and assessment of associated health risk. In addition, this study provides suggestions for future biota monitoring and chemical research in Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.17-28
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• 2023

In line with the entry into the digital-based intelligent information society, the science curriculum emphasizes the cultivation of scientific competencies, and computer-based test (CBT) is drawing attention for assessment of competencies. CBT has advantages to develop items that have high fidelity, and to establish a feedback system by accumulating results into the database. However, it is necessary to solve the problems of improving validity of assessment results, lowering measurement efficiency, and increasing management factors. To examine students' responses to the introduction of the new assessment tools in the process of transitioning from paper-based test (PBT) to CBT, in this study, we analyzed the results of the PBT and the CBT conducted in 2021 National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA). In particular, we sought to find the effects on student achievement when only the mode of assessment was changed without change of items, and the effect on student achievement when the items were composed including technology enhanced features that take advantage of CBT. This study is derived through the analysis of the results of 7,137 third-grade middle school students taking one among the three kinds of assessments, which were the PBT or two kinds of CBT. After the assessment, the percentage of correct answers and the item discriminations were collected for each group, and expert opinions on characteristics of response were collected through the expert council involving 8 science teachers with experience in NAEA. According to the results, there was no significant difference between students' achievement results in the PBT and the CBT-M, which means simple mode conversion type of CBT, so it could be explained that the mode effect did not appear. However, it was confirmed that the percentage of correct answers for the construct response items was somewhat high in the CBT, and this result was analyzed to be related to the convenience of the response. On the other hand, there were the items with a difference of more than 10%p from the correct answer rate of similar items, among the items to which technology enhanced functions were applied following the introduction of CBT. According to the analysis of response rate of options, these results could be explained that the students' level of understanding could be more closely grasped through the innovative items developed through the technology enhanced function. Based on the results, we discussed some guidance to be considered when introducing CBT and developing items through CBT, and presented implications.

• The Journal of KAIRB
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.23-31
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• 2020

Purpose: To obtain opinions from Korean Institutional Review Board (IRB) members' self-evaluation on ability to conduct fairness review of clinical trial protocol with presence of conflict of interest and from investigators and IRB members on financial conflict of interest through surveying. Methods: IRB members and researchers in 9 different hospitals were asked to answer survey questions via email. Results: Responders were 115 personnel (IRB Chair/vice 18, medical member 30, non-medical member 28, and researcher 39) from 9 centers. Compared to IRB medical members, IRB chair/vice respondents scored higher with statistically significance on 10 point scale (8.44±1.381 vs. 7.30±1.685, p=0.005) when asked to self-evaluate fairness reviewing a protocol proposed by an investigator from the same department and a protocol from the company that supports the scientific committee of responders. When reviewing a protocol proposed by a hospital director, non-medical members scored statistically significantly higher than medical-members (7.47±1.76 vs. 8.07±2.70, p=0.034). When asked about the limitation of labor fee for principal investigator on phase 3 Human clinical trials of the Investigational new drug, while the responses range was wide, 60% answered that labor cost of principal investigator should be less than 30% of total budget for clinical trials with a budget of 100 million won. 51.3% answered that there is no need to disclose the labor cost of the principal investigator in the consent form. Since every investigator can be influenced unconsciously by conflict of interest, the answer that 'responder agrees that there is need for management' was the most chosen answer (IRB member 61.8%, investigator 64.1%, multiple answers allowed). Conclusion: Considering scores on questions of fairness by IRB members were between 7.23-8.56 on scale of 0 to 10 point when IRB members were asked about reviewing a clinical trial protocol, it cannot be said with absolute certainty that there is no issue regarding fairness in the review process. Therefore, there should be more ways to safeguard fairness for these issues. There is a need that the disclosure amount of honorarium from sponsor should be lower than 100 million Korean won. Considering the results of the survey in which respondents expressed their thoughts, it is likely that more education on the concept of conflict of interest is needed.