• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.32.1-32.14
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• 2021

Over two hundred twenty-eight million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the world have been reported until the 21^st of September 2021 after the first rise in December 2019. The virus caused the disease called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Over 4 million deaths blame COVID-19 during the last one year and 8 months in the world. Currently, four SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern are mainly focused by pandemic studies with limited experiments to translate the infectivity and pathogenicity of each variant. The SARS-CoV-2 α, β, γ, and δ variant of concern was originated from United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil/Japan, and India, respectively. The classification of SARS-CoV-2 variant is based on the mutation in spike (S) gene on the envelop of SARS-CoV-2. This review describes four SARS-CoV-2 α, β, γ, and δ variants of concern including SARS-CoV-2 ε, ζ, η, ι, κ, and B.1.617.3 variants of interest and alert. Recently, SARS-CoV-2 δ variant prevails over different countries that have 3 unique mutation sites: E156del/R158G in the N-terminal domain and T478K in a crucial receptor binding domain. A particular mutation in the functional domain of the S gene is probably associated with the infectivity and pathogenesis of the SARS-CoV-2 variant.

• Korean Journal of Cleft Lip And Palate
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.85-92
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• 2006

Korean Cleft Lip and Palate Association (KCLPA) was founded in 1996. The first overseas charity operation was in Karachi, Pakistan, 2002 and our association has visited fourteen times in six countries for the free cleft surgery: Pakistan, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Jordan and Vietnam. The cumulated number of operated patients reaches to 280. Before our association, many Korean oral and maxillofacial surgeons have performed charity operations individually since 1964. It was started from Vietnam but the activity is now carried on in Africa, middle-east Asia, south-east Asia, China, and Korea as an official team. LG electronics, a Korean company helped to propagate our team's activity to middle-east Asia to Africa. This paper is a report concerning about the results of our association's charity activities especially in Kenya, east Africa. We provided free cleft surgery for 30 patients in 2004 and 27 patients in 2005, in Nairobi. As the blood test for HIV of the cleft patients was not allowed before and during surgery, our surgeons and nurses were cautious about every movement during the surgeries. Thus the operation time for each patient was longer than any other time. The attitude of the local hospital and the doctors seemed to be accustomed to this situation. They helped us in case of needle injuries. Safety of medical staff and patients is more important than the number of the patients operated in charity operation. This belief should be approached being parallel and multidisciplinary as an international cooperation, focusing on international funding for medical support and continuous education for local doctors who are willing to devote to their people.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.336-342
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• 2012

Inorganic materials were commonly used as container media in domestic plant factories. Objective of this research was to secure the information in soil physical and chemical properties of inorganic materials such as vermiculites and perlites. To achieve this, 12 gold and silver vermiculites from China, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and 5 perlites from China were collected based on the marketing grades (MG) in particle sizes and analyzed for determination of their characteristics. The percentage of particles larger than $710{\mu}m$, in China perlite MG 3~5 mm, China silver vermiculites MG > 8 mm and MG 3~8 mm were 99.9%, 99.8%, and 99.7%, respectively, which were much higher than 28.4% in China gold vermiculite MG 0.3~1.0 mm, 14.0% in perlite MG < 1.0 mm, and 12.6% of Zimbabwe silver vermiculite MG < 1.0 mm. The container capacities of perlite MG < 1.0 mm and South Africa silver vermiculite MG 0.25~1.0 mm were 72.0% and 71.1%, respectively. The air space in China silver vermiculite MG 3~8 mm was 49.3% which was higher than other materials tested. However, the China gold and silver vermiculites MG 0.3~1 mm had 3.5% and 2.4% in air space indicating that possible problems could occur in soil aeration when they are used for container media. The percentage of easily available and buffering water of China gold vermiculite MG 0.3~1 mm and perlite MG < 1.0 mm were the highest among test materials. The ranges of pH and electrical conductivity were 6.36 to 10.7 and 0.032 to $0.393dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in vermiculites and 7.78 to 8.62 and 0.030 to $0.041dS{\cdot}m^{-1}$ in perlite, respectively. The cation exchange capacity of China silver vermiculite MG 0.3~1 mm were $14.7cmol{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ that was 10 times as high as $0.34cmol{\cdot}kg^{-1}$ in perlite MG 1~2.5 mm. The vermiculites had the higher contents of exchangeable cations such as Ca, K, and Na, than those of perlites.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.2159-2165
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• 2013

Cancer registries help to establish and maintain cancer incidence reporting system, serve as a resource for investigation of cancer and its causes, and provide information for planning and evaluation of preventive and control programs. However, their wider role in directly enhancing oncology drug access has not been fully explored. We examined the value of cancer registries in oncology drug access in the Asia-Pacific region on three levels: (1) specific registry variable types; (2) macroscopic strategies on the national level; and (3) a regional cancer registry network. Using literature search and proceedings from an expert forum, this paper covers recent cancer registry developments in eight economies in the Asia-Pacific region - Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand - and the ways they can contribute to oncology drug access. Specific registry variables relating to demographics, tumor characteristics, initial treatment plans, prognostic markers, risk factors, and mortality help to anticipate drug needs, identify high-priority research area and design access programs. On a national level, linking registry data with clinical, drug safety, financial, or drug utilization databases allows analyses of associations between utilization and outcomes. Concurrent efforts should also be channeled into developing and implementing data integrity and stewardship policies, and providing clear avenues to make data available. Less mature registry systems can employ modeling techniques and ad-hoc surveys while increasing coverage. Beyond local settings, a cancer registry network for the Asia-Pacific region would offer cross-learning and research opportunities that can exert leverage through the experiences and capabilities of a highly diverse region.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.101-105
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• 2007

The people who lived in Fujian district along the south-eastern coast of China long ago began to construct ships and go fishing. For this reason, they grasped sound navigation skills and gained rich navigation experience. These skills and experience laid basis for the following large-scale overseas trade. In the Tang dynasty, with the development of economy, the people who lived in Fujian district started to leave home town and engage in overseas trade. In the Song dynasty and the Yuan dynasty, with the fast development of overseas communication, more and more Fujian maritime merchants, navigating the Fujian ships which were safe, fast and could arrive at destination on time, engaged in overseas trade. The Fujian ships made it possible for the Fujian maritime merchants to shorten trade time, catch business opportunity, level up the chance of success in trade and make full use of capital. As a result of this, Fujian maritime merchants gained fast development and they reached far areas such as eastern Asia, south-eastern Asia, southern Asia, and eastern Africa. This study deals with the issues such as the reasons for the development of Fujian maritime merchants, the trade engaged in by Fujian maritime merchants, the Fujian ships which played a decisive role in the overseas trade of Fujian maritime merchants.

• Atmosphere
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.425-441
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• 2013

This study investigates the projections of water cycle, budget and river discharge over land in the world at the end of twenty-first century simulated by atmosphere-ocean climate model of Hadley Centre (HadGEM2-AO) and total runoff integrating pathways (TRIP) based on the RCP scenario. Firstly, to validate the HadGEM2-AO hydrology, the surface water states were evaluated for the present period using precipitation, evaporation, runoff and river discharge. Although this model underestimates the annual precipitation about 0.4 mm $mon^{-1}$, evaporation 3.7 mm $mon^{-1}$, total runoff 1.6 mm $mon^{-1}$ and river discharge 8.6% than observation and reanalysis data, it has good water balance in terms of inflow and outflow at surface. In other words, it indicates the -0.3 mm $mon^{-1}$ of water storage (P-E-R) compared with ERA40 showing -2.4 mm $mon^{-1}$ for the present hydrological climate. At the end of the twenty-first century, annual mean precipitation may decrease in heavy rainfall region, such as northern part of South America, central Africa and eastern of North America, but for increase over the Tropical Western Pacific and East Asian region. Also it can generally increase in high latitudes inland of the Northern Hemisphere. Spatial patterns of annual evaporation and runoff are similar to that of precipitation. And river discharge tends to increase over all continents except for South America including Amazon Basin, due to increased runoff. Overall, HadGEM2-AO prospects that water budget for the future will globally have negative signal (-8.0~-0.3% of change rate) in all RCP scenarios indicating drier phase than the present climate over land.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.773-795
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• 2008

The major import minerals of South Korea are copper ore, lead-zinc ore, iron ore, manganese ore and molybdenum ore. Oversea resources development of South Korea have 92 projects in 14 nations of Asia, 29 projects in 10 nations of America and Europe, and 14 projects in 9 nations of Middle Asia and Africa. But, most projects of them are found in Australia, China, Mongolia and Indonesia. The most projects of the Australia, China and Indonesia are interested in coal and a little projects of them have manganese, iron, lead-zinc, nickel, copper, gold, molybdenum, rare earth elements and uranium. The most projects of the Mongolia are interested in gold and rare earth elements. Representative ore deposits models of metal resources are Orogenic lode deposits, Volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, Porphyry deposits, Sedimentary exhalative deposits, Mississippi valley type deposits, Iron oxide copper-gold deposits and Magmatic nickel-copper-platinum group element deposits based on global distribution, reverses and grades of their deposits models. If oversea mineral resources will be examined the mineral reserves, mineral mine production and ore deposits models of nations and then survey and investigate of mineral resources, we may be maintained ore body of high grade at survey area and decrease the investment risk.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.11-17
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• 2020

South Korea started to actively participate in the ODA project across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, CIS countries, and Latin America as it transitioned from a country receiving developmental aid to a donor country. As more and more recipient countries are looking into the e-government model of South Korea, a new approach to the Korean model is being investigated. Various promotions were made, ranging from the implementation of the e-government ODA project, review of its feasibility to evaluation of the results. In order to improve and maximize performance management OD projects, it is necessary to look into the analysis of its follow-up results. In this study, practical performance management and policy implications were explored, focusing on the e-government ODA project. In particular, a case study analysis was attempted with focus on the Nigerian e-government project promoted as part of the project. It focused on Korea's e-government linkage process, implementation procedures and strategies applied when establishing the e-government master plan and suggested the necessity of an approach suitable for new environmental changes. In terms of sustainability of the ODA project, it is necessary to build a Korean e-government model that reflects the new intelligence information technology.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.64-72
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• 2007

During the 2nd World War, several Coal-to-Liquid (CTL) plants were operated in Germany and England to convert coal to large volumes of liquid fuel. Big oil fields discovered in the Middle East after the war supplied crude oil at the low price and all CTL plants were forced to shut down. However, South Africa (Sasol) built a CTL plant in 1955 and 2 more plants afterward and the current production of coal-derived synfuel reached 150,000 bbl/day. Recently, the sustained high crude oil price and the fear of the "peak oil" rejuvenated the interest of CTL and several CTL projects are in progress. China established a plan to build CTL plants with the total capacity of 30 million tons of synfuel per year by 2030. China is building a direct coal liquefaction plant which is scheduled to produce 20,000bbl/day of synfuel in 2008. There are 8 CTL projects in USA either in the planning stage or in the ground-breaking stage. CTL projects are also carried out in Australia, Philippines, New Zealand, Indonesia and India. Korea needs to approach the CTL project in the perspective of the national energy security. In this paper, the history, the status, current activities and the prospect of CTL are described.

• Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.319-332
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• 2011

The objectives of this study are to analyze the satellite visibility at the randomly established ground sites, to determine the five optimal ground sites to perform the optical surveillance and tracking of domestic satellites, and to verify the acquisition of the optical observation time sufficient to maintain the precise ephemeris at optimal ground sites that have been already determined. In order to accomplish these objectives, we analyzed the visibility for sun-synchronous orbit satellites, low earth orbit satellites, middle earth orbit satellites and domestic satellites as well as the continuous visibility along with the fictitious satellite ground track, and calculate the effective visibility. For the analysis, we carried out a series of repetitive process using the satellite tool kit simulation software developed by Analytical Graphics Incorporated. The lighting states of the penumbra and direct sun were set as the key constraints of the optical observation. The minimum of the observation satellite elevation angle was set to be 20 degree, whereas the maximum of the sun elevation angle was set to be -10 degree which is within the range of the nautical twilight. To select the candidates for the optimal optical observation, the entire globe was divided into 84 sectors in a constant interval, the visibility characteristics of the individual sectors were analyzed, and 17 ground sites were arbitrarily selected and analyzed further. Finally, five optimal ground sites (Khurel Togoot Observatory, Assy-Turgen Observatory, Tubitak National Observatory, Bisdee Tier Optical Astronomy Observatory, and South Africa Astronomical Observatory) were determined. The total observation period was decided as one year. To examine the seasonal variation, the simulation was performed for the period of three days or less with respect to spring, summer, fall and winter. In conclusion, we decided the optimal ground sites to perform the optical surveillance and tracking of domestic satellites and verified that optical observation time sufficient to maintain the precise ephemeris could be acquired at the determined observatories.