• Health Policy and Management
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.196-210
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• 2024

Background: In January 2018, revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment for the elderly were implemented. When people ages 65 years and older receive outpatient treatment at clinic-level medical institutions (clinic, dental clinic, Korean medicine clinic), with medical expenses exceeding 15,000 won but not exceeding 25,000 won, their copayment rates have decreased differentially from 30%. This study aimed to examine the changes of health utilization of elderly after revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. Methods: We used Korea health panel data from 2016 to 2018. The time period is divided into before and after the revised elderly fixed outpatient copayment. We conducted Poisson segmented regression to estimate the changes in outpatient utilization and inpatient utilization and conducted segmented regression to estimate the changes in medical expenses. Results: Immediately after the revised policy, the number of clinic and Korean medicine outpatient visits of medical expenses under 15,000 won decreased. But the number of clinic outpatient visits in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 won and Korean medicine clinic in the range of 20,000 to 25,000 won increased. Copayment in outpatient temporarily decreased. The inpatient admission rates and total medical expenses temporarily decreased but increased again. Conclusion: We confirmed the temporary increase in outpatient utilization in the medical expense segment with reduced copayment rates. And a temporary decrease in medical expenses followed by an increase again. To reduce the burden of medical expense among elderly in the long run, efforts to establish chronic disease management policies aimed at preventing disease occurrence and deterioration in advance need to continue.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.118-141
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• 2024

This study investigates and analyzes ancient literature records and iconographic materials to examine the Willow Tree Fence(樹柵) built on Gasan(假山) Cheonggyecheon(淸溪川) within the Hanyangdoseong, which was deliberately created to prevent flood damage during the Joseon Dynasty. Although there have been research cases related to the willow tree, it is difficult to find research conducted with the purpose of identifying its archetypal value by investigating and analyzing specific use cases of the willow tree and its historical background. Accordingly, this study aims to identify examples of the Willow Tree Fence(樹柵) created in Cheonggyecheon(淸溪川) during the Joseon Dynasty and reinterpret their value by illuminating the background of construction and regional characteristics. The main contents of this study are as follows. It is presumed that floods during the Joseon Dynasty were a great hazard. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Joseon suffered severe damage from floods. By the time of King Yeongjo, all Four Mountains(四山) of the capital had become bare mountains, which was the cause of frequent floods. In the year of Gyeongjin(庚辰, the 26th year of King Yeongjo's reign, 1760), King Yeongjo dredged the channel bottom of Cheonggyecheon(淸溪川), which overflowed every rainy season, with the Juncheon Project(Channel-Dredging, 濬川事業) and planted willow trees on the mountain on both sides of the Ogan Water Gate(五間水門), as measures to prevent flood damage and soil loss. was implemented. In the <Doseongdo(都城圖)> in 《 Gwangyeodo(廣輿圖)》 produced in the mid-18th century during the reign of King Yeongjo, Gasan(假山), built in front of the Ogan Water Gate(五間水門) is visible, and in the record 『Sinjeung Donggukyeoji Seungnam(新增東國輿地勝)』 In the record, it appears that willows were planted on both sides of the mountain in the year of Gyeongjin(1760). With <Hanyangdoseong Map(漢陽都城圖)> produced in the 46th year of King Yeongjo's reign(1770), it is confirmed that willow trees formed a thick forest on Gasan Mountain near the Ogan Water Gate(五間水門) in the late 18th century. In addition, the Juncheon Project(Channel-Dredging, 濬川事業) and the creation of the Willow Tree Fence(樹柵) continued from the 15th century, the early Joseon Dynasty(朝鮮前期), to the end of the 19th century, the late Joseon Dynasty(朝鮮後期), through the records of ancient literature such as 『Annals of the Joseon Dynasty(朝鮮王朝實錄)』, 『Seungjeongwon Diary(承政院日記)』, and 『Records of Daily Reflections(日省錄)』. This study is meaningful in informing that the willow tree was a unique cultural heritage and traditional landscape resource by investigating the composition and use of the Willow Tree Fence in the Joseon Dynasty, which was a great basis for preventing floods and flood damage, as well as forming a beautiful landscape.

• The Sea:JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN SOCIETY OF OCEANOGRAPHY
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.112-120
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• 2007

This paper reviews the use of parasites as 'biological tags' for studying stock analysis of salmonid fishes. Numerous definitions of stock concepts exist, but most of them essentially define a group of fish as having similar biological characteristics and being self-reproducing as stocks. It is important to manage fish stocks for human consumption and sustainable production and especially for salmonid fishes. Because these fry are considered as each country's property, it is necessary to identify and discriminate each fish stock in the open sea. Methods of separating fish stocks are very diverse. Artificial tags, parasites, otoliths scales and genetic characters have been used for stock analysis and each method has advantages and disadvantages. Of these parasites can be good biological tags because they are applied by nature at no cost. Parasites can be infected with susceptible host fishes when they enter into certain areas. Then if they move to the outside and are caught researchers can infer that the fish had been in the endemic area for a period of time during their life. Hence the host fish can be considered as naturally 'tagged' by parasites. However, if they do not pass the parasites-endemic. area, they will harbour no parasites. Therefore, researchers can discriminate each fish stocks and trace their migration routes with these biological tags. In this paper, several examples on the use of parasites as biological tags for studying salmonids, as well as other species, are listed. The advantages and limitations of parasites as biological tags are also discussed. Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), the main salmonid species migrating to Korea, is distributed all around the North Pacific. Korean chum salmon are generally thought to move to the Sea of Okhotsk, the western North Pacific and the Bering Sea. However, there is no clear information on the distribution and migration pathways of Korean chum salmon, and no markers exist for separating them from others yet. Recent Korean chum salmon stock analysis including parasites information are mentioned.

• Journal of the Daesoon Academy of Sciences
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• v.48
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• pp.41-155
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• 2024

Among the records that attest to the period from July to August of 1863, when Suwun was believed to have transmitted the orthodox lineage to Haewol, the oldest documents are The Collection of Suwun's Literary Works (水雲文集), The Collection of Great Master Lord's Literary Works (大先生主文集), and The Records of Dao Origin of Master Choe's Literary Collection (崔先生文集道源記書, hereafter referred to as The Records of Dao Origin). The records regarding Suwun in these three documents are considered to have originated from the same context. The variances embedded in the three documents have led to arguments about which documents accurately reflect the fact of orthodox lineage transmission. Additionally, these variances highlight the necessity of a review regarding the characteristics of early Eastern Learning, such as its faith and organizational systems. Accordingly, by thoroughly examining these three documents, it is possible to elucidate the chronological order, establishment-date, accuracy, descriptive direction, and characteristics of the faith system of early Eastern Learning as these are reflected in each document. If successful, this examination would provide a clearer description of the developmental process of Eastern Learning from 1860 to 1880, facilitating a more in-depth analysis of the significance embedded in various forms of discourse on the movement's orthodox lineage transmission. In comparing the three documents and contrasting them with related sources, the results of the textual examination assert that the documents within the lineage of The Collection of Suwun's Literary Works, given they lack a clear record of the event regarding Haewol's orthodox lineage succession, may be the first draft of The Collection of Great Master Lord's Literary Works and The Records of Dao Origin, as these texts distinctly include that record. This reflects that Haewol's succession was not precisely recognized within and outside of the Eastern Learning order until the time when The Collection of Great Master Lord's Literary Works and The Records of Dao Origin were published. This is further attested to by the fact that during the late 1870s, when various Yeonwon (fountainhead) factions of Eastern Learning began to converge around Haewol, and his Yeonwon became the largest organization within Eastern Learning. At that point, the order's doctrine was reinterpreted, and its organization was reestablished. In this regard, it is necessary to view Eastern Learning after Suwun-especially the orthodox lineage transmission to Haewol-from a perspective that considers it more as competing forms of discourse than as a historical fact. This view enables a new perspective on Haewol's Eastern Learning, which forms a distinct layer from Suwun's, shedding light on the relationship between Haewol and the new religious movements in modern-day Korea.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2024

To assess the ecological changes of Korean fir (Abies koreana E. H. Wilson) under climate change conditions, growth and physiological responses were analyzed over a 5-year period in a control group (outdoors) and in a treatment group where the temperature and CO2 levels were elevated to closely resemble RCP 4.5 conditions. The results showed an increasing trend in annual branch length of A.koreana in the climate change treatment group over time. While climate change conditions did not significantly impact the morphological differences of A.koreana leaves, they did influence the biomass of the leaves, suggesting that as climate change progresses, the productivity of A.koreana leaves may decline. On the other hand, the chlorophyll content in A.koreana under climate change conditions was higher in the climate change treatment group, whereas the photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, water use efficiency and stomatal conductance was higher in the control group. This suggests that an environment with elevated temperature and CO2 could influence an increase in stomatal density, but having a negative impact on photosynthetic reactions. Further research on stomatal density under each environmental treatment will be required to confirm this hypothesis. Additionally, as this study only observed changes in leaf biomass, further empirical research should be considered to understand the changes in biomass of A.koreana under climate change conditions. In conclusion, the environmental adaptability of A.koreana is expected to weaken in the long term under elevated temperatures and CO2.

• Research in Plant Disease
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.131-138
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• 2024

The effects of five fungicides on the spore growth phase of Alternaria dauci, which causes carrot leaf blight, were tested using the spore viability assay (SVA) and agar dilution method (ADM). The average EC₅₀ values for chlorothalonil against seven isolates of A. dauci examined by SVA and ADM were 14.21 ㎍/ml and more than 100 ㎍/ml. Dithianon and folpet also had lower EC₅₀ values in SVA than in ADM, while iminoctadine trisalbesilate had lower EC₅₀ value in ADM. For fluazinam, the EC₅₀ values of SVA and ADM were 1.63 and 2.40 ㎍/ml, respectively. As EC₅₀ values of five fungicides according to the spore growth phase of A. dauci KACC 42997, the efficacy of each fungicide as chlorothalonil, dithianon, and folpet decreased when treated after spore germination rather than when treated with spores before germination. However, iminoctadine tris-albesilate was more effective when treated after spores germinated than when treated before treatment. The excellent effect of fluazinam on the pathogen was maintained until A. dauci KACC 42997 was cultured in potato dextrose broth for 6 hr and the germ tube grew beyond the size of the spore. However, when treated with iminoctadine tris-albesilate and fluazinam after culturing for 12 hr, as the EC₅₀ values of the two fungicides increased to 8.87 and 20.65 ㎍/ml, their efficacies decreased. The results of this study show that the treatment time of the fungicide should be determined by considering the effect of the fungicide on the spore growth phase of pathogens.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.145-154
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• 2023

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of EmboTrap II in terms of first-pass recanalization and to determine whether it could yield favorable outcomes. Materials and Methods: In this multicenter, prospective study, we consecutively enrolled patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy using EmboTrap II as a front-line device. The primary outcome was the first pass effect (FPE) rate defined by modified Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) grade 2c or 3 by the first pass of EmboTrap II. In addition, modified FPE (mFPE; mTICI grade 2b-3 by the first pass of EmboTrap II), successful recanalization (final mTICI grade 2b-3), and clinical outcomes were assessed. We also analyzed the effect of FPE on a modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0-2 at 3 months. Results: Two hundred-ten patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 73.3 ± 11.4 years; male, 55.7%) were included. Ninety-nine patients (47.1%) had FPE, and mFPE was achieved in 150 (71.4%) patients. Successful recanalization was achieved in 191 (91.0%) patients. Among them, 164 (85.9%) patients underwent successful recanalization by exclusively using EmboTrap II. The time from groin puncture to FPE was 25.0 minutes (interquartile range, 17.0-35.0 minutes). Procedure-related complications were observed in seven (3.3%) patients. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage developed in 14 (6.7%) patients. One hundred twenty-three (58.9% of 209 completely followed) patients had an mRS score of 0-2. Sixteen (7.7% of 209) patients died during the follow-up period. Patients who had successful recanalization with FPE were four times more likely to have an mRS score of 0-2 than those who had successful recanalization without FPE (adjusted odds ratio, 4.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-10.8; p = 0.004). Conclusion: Mechanical thrombectomy using the front-line EmboTrap II is effective and safe. In particular, FPE rates were high. Achieving FPE was important for an mRS score of 0-2, even in patients with successful recanalization.

• The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.67-101
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• 2023

The utilization of generative AI in the medical field is also being rapidly researched. Access to vast data sets reduces the time and energy spent in selecting information. However, as the effort put into content creation decreases, there is a greater likelihood of associated issues arising. For example, with generative AI, users must discern the accuracy of results themselves, as these AIs learn from data within a set period and generate outcomes. While the answers may appear plausible, their sources are often unclear, making it challenging to determine their veracity. Additionally, the possibility of presenting results from a biased or distorted perspective cannot be discounted at present on ethical grounds. Despite these concerns, the field of generative AI is continually advancing, with an increasing number of users leveraging it in various sectors, including biomedical and life sciences. This raises important legal considerations regarding who bears responsibility and to what extent for any damages caused by these high-performance AI algorithms. A general overview of issues with generative AI includes those discussed above, but another perspective arises from its fundamental nature as a large-scale language model ('LLM') AI. There is a civil law concern regarding "the memorization of training data within artificial neural networks and its subsequent reproduction". Medical data, by nature, often reflects personal characteristics of patients, potentially leading to issues such as the regeneration of personal information. The extensive application of generative AI in scenarios beyond traditional AI brings forth the possibility of legal challenges that cannot be ignored. Upon examining the technical characteristics of generative AI and focusing on legal issues, especially concerning the protection of personal information, it's evident that current laws regarding personal information protection, particularly in the context of health and medical data utilization, are inadequate. These laws provide processes for anonymizing and de-identification, specific personal information but fall short when generative AI is applied as software in medical devices. To address the functionalities of generative AI in clinical software, a reevaluation and adjustment of existing laws for the protection of personal information are imperative.

• Journal of Korean Dental Hygiene Science
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.65-77
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• 2023

Background: The shortage of dental hygienists as assistant is a great concern to dental clinics, while dental hygienists are rather pursuing the role of oral hygiene control and preventive treatments which is the main role for dental hygienists in the United States. The dental hygienist and dental assistant system in the United States can be a reference in these discussions. Methods: Educational requirements for licensure and work areas for dental hygienists and dental assistants were investigated through the information provided by the American Dental Association (ADA), American Dental Hygienists Association, National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE), Dental Assistants Association of America (ADAA), and Dental Assistants National Board (DANB). Results: In the United States, each state has different systems, but in general, dental hygienists obtain licenses after completing 2~3 years of associate degree programs in dental hygiene after obtaining basic learning skills, and mainly perform tasks related to patient screening procedures, oral hygiene management and preventive care. Dental assistants can take the license test after completing a training course of 9~11 months to obtain a dental assistant certification. Additional expanded work typically requires passing state qualification tests, completing a training program, obtaining a degree, or gaining clinical experience for a certain period of time, depending on the state Conclusion: The scope of work of dental hygienists designated by the Medical Engineer Act and the Enforcement Decree in Korea includes both the work of dental hygienists and dental assistants in the United States, and if a dental assistant system like the United States is introduced to address the current shortage of dental assistants, institutional supplementation such as adjustment of the scope of work and expansion of the role of dental hygienists in oral hygiene management and prevention work is needed and in-depth discussion is necessary.

• 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.