• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.121-129
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• 2024

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs) are caused by the rapid proliferation of cyanobacteria and are believed to be exacerbated by climate change. However, the extent to which HCBs will be stimulated in the future due to increased temperature remains uncertain. This study aims to predict the future occurrence of cyanobacteria in the Nakdong River, which has the highest incidence of HCBs in South Korea, based on temperature rise scenarios. Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) were used as the basis for these scenarios. Data-driven model simulations were conducted, and out of the four machine learning techniques tested (multiple linear regression, support vector regressor, decision tree, and random forest), the random forest model was selected for its relatively high prediction accuracy. The random forest model was used to predict the occurrence of cyanobacteria. The results of boxplot and time-series analyses showed that under the worst-case scenario (RCP8.5 (2100)), where temperature increases significantly, cyanobacterial abundance across all study areas was greatly stimulated. The study also found that the frequencies of HCB occurrences exceeding certain thresholds (100,000 and 1,000,000 cells/mL) increased under both the best-case scenario (RCP2.6 (2050)) and worst-case scenario (RCP8.5 (2100)). These findings suggest that the frequency of HCB occurrences surpassing a certain threshold level can serve as a useful diagnostic indicator of vulnerability to temperature increases caused by climate change. Additionally, this study highlights that water bodies currently susceptible to HCBs are likely to become even more vulnerable with climate change compared to those that are currently less susceptible.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.55-68
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• 2011

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) has identified the causes of climate change and come up with measures to address it at the global level. Its key component of the work involves developing and assessing future climate change scenarios. The IPCC Expert Meeting in September 2007 identified a new greenhouse gas concentration scenario "Representative Concentration Pathway(RCP)" and established the framework and development schedules for Climate Modeling (CM), Integrated Assessment Modeling(IAM), Impact Adaptation Vulnerability(IAV) community for the fifth IPCC Assessment Reports while 130 researchers and users took part in. The CM community at the IPCC Expert Meeting in September 2008, agreed on a new set of coordinated climate model experiments, the phase five of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project(CMIP5), which consists of more than 30 standardized experiment protocols for the shortterm and long-term time scales, in order to enhance understanding on climate change for the IPCC AR5 and to develop climate change scenarios and to address major issues raised at the IPCC AR4. Since early 2009, fourteen countries including the Korea have been carrying out CMIP5-related projects. Withe increasing interest on climate change, in 2009 the COdinated Regional Downscaling EXperiment(CORDEX) has been launched to generate regional and local level information on climate change. The National Institute of Meteorological Research(NIMR) under the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has contributed to the IPCC AR4 by developing climate change scenarios based on IPCC SRES using ECHO-G and embarked on crafting national scenarios for climate change as well as RCP-based global ones by engaging in international projects such as CMIP5 and CORDEX. NIMR/KMA will make a contribution to drawing the IPCC AR5 and will develop national climate change scenarios reflecting geographical factors, local climate characteristics and user needs and provide them to national IAV and IAM communites to assess future regional climate impacts and take action.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.41-50
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• 2023

Over the last decade, avian influenza (AI) has been considered an emerging disease that would become the next pandemic, particularly in countries like South Korea, with continuous animal outbreaks. In this situation, risk assessment is highly needed to prevent and prepare for human infection with AI. Thus, we developed the risk assessment matrix for a high-risk area of human infection with AI in South Korea based on the notion that risk is the multiplication of hazards with vulnerability. This matrix consisted of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in poultry farms and the number of poultry-associated production facilities assumed as hazards of avian influenza and vulnerability, respectively. The average number of HPAI in poultry farms at the 229-municipal level as the hazard axis of the matrix was predicted using a negative binomial regression with nationwide outbreaks data from 2003 to 2018. The two components of the matrix were classified into five groups using the K-means clustering algorithm and multiplied, consequently producing the area-specific risk level of human infection. As a result, Naju-si, Jeongeup-si, and Namwon-si were categorized as high-risk areas for human infection with AI. These findings would contribute to designing the policies for human infection to minimize socio-economic damages.

• Journal of Cadastre & Land InformatiX
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.27-42
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• 2016

Forest accounts for almost 64 percents of total land cover in South Korea. For inventorying, monitoring, and managing such large area of forest, application of remote sensing and geographic information system (RS/GIS) technology is essential. On the basis of spectral characteristics of satellite imagery, forest cover and tree species can be classified, and forest cover map can be prepared. Using three dimensional data of LiDAR(Light Detection and Ranging), tree location and tree height can be measured, and biomass and carbon stocks can be also estimated. In addition, many indices can be extracted using reflection characteristics of land cover. For example, the level of vegetation vitality and forest degradation can be analyzed with VI (vegetation Index) and TGSI (Top Grain Soil Index), respectively. Also, pine wilt disease and o ak w ilt d isease c an b e e arly detected and controled through understanding of change in vegetation indices. RS and GIS take an important role in assessing carbon storage in climate change related projects such as A/R CDM, REDD+ as well. In the field of climate change adaptation, impact and vulnerability can be spatio-temporally assessed for national and local level with the help of spatio-temporal data of GIS. Forest growth, tree mortality, land slide, forest fire can be spatio-temporally estimated using the models in which spatio-temporal data of GIS are added as influence variables.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.140-146
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• 2000

Recently, we reported that immunostimulation of primary rat cortical astrocyte caused stimulation of glucose deprivation induced apoptotic cell death. To enhance the understanding of the mechanism of the potentiated cell death of clucose-deprived astrocyte by immunostimulation, we investigated the effect of immunostimulation on the glucose deprivation induced cell death of rat C6 glioma cells. Co-treatment of C6 glioma cells with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, $1\;{\mu}\textrm{g}/ml$) and interferon ${\gamma}(IFN{\gamma},\;100U/ml)$ is serum free condition caused marked elevationo f nitric oxide production ($>50\;{\mu}M$). In this condition, glucose deprivation caused significant release of lactate dehdrogenase (LDH) from C6 glioma cells while control cells did not show LDH release. To investigate whether elevated level of nitric oxide is responsible for the enhanced LDH release in glucose-deprived condition, C6 glioma cells were treated with 3-morphorinosydnonimine (SIN-1) and it was observed that SIN-1 caused increase in LDH release from glucose-deprived C6 glioma cells. Treatment of C6 glioma cells with $25\;{\mu}M$ of pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) which inhibit Nuclear factor kB (NF-kB) activation, caused complete inhibition of nitric oxide production. Treatment of C6 glioma cells with NO synthase inhibitors, $N^{G}$-nitro-L-arginine (NNA) or L-$N{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), caused inhibition of nitric oxide production and also glucose deprivation induced cell death of cytokine-stimulated C6 glioma cells. In addition, diaminohydroxypyrimidine (DAHP, 5 mM) which inhibits the synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterine (BH4), one of essential cofactors for iNOS activity, caused complete inhibition of NO production from immunostimulated C6 glioma cells. The results from the present study suggest that immunostimulation causes potentiation of glucose deprivation induced death of C6 glioma cells which is mediated at least in part by the increased production of nitric oxide. The vulnerability of immunostimulated C6 glioma cells to hypoglycemic insults may implicate that the elevated level of cytokines in various ischemic and neurodegenerative diseases may play a role in their pathogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Comparative Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.199-226
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine key experiences of homestay guardians of unaccompanied minor Korean adolescents studying abroad in the United States through qualitative research method of grounded theory methodology. This study identified guardianship experiences and the process of adjustment to life with homestay students through in-depth interviews with 12 subjects who are Korean guardians in the United States. The results of this study classified "started with concern" as a category that leads guardians to start providing homestay accommodation, and "other's recommendation," "need for financial support," and "unexpectedly" as subcategories. This study identified "act as a mediator to resolve differences" as a key experience of guardians, and classified subcategories are "parental role" and "calculation of gains and losses" on a personal level; and "feel sorry for own children," "limited leeway of the family," and "formation of relationship between own children and homestay students" on a family level. Developed subcategories are "thirsty for attention," "vulnerability," "task on freedom and control," and "regrettable feeling in the absence of communication" with respect to relationship with students; "grade expectations," "one-way communication," "trapped between parents' and students' demands" in regard to relationship with parents; and "advice from school" in the aspect of school. "Cultural difference," "preparedness of students and parents," "age differences between guardian's children and students," "family support," "similar personalities," "guardian's motivation," and "parent's attitude" are subcategories that affect central phenomenon of guardians.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.29-44
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• 2021

Particulate matter(PM) is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Recognizing its considerable risk to human health, people change their behaviors when a concentration level of PM is high. The impact of particulate matter on urban activities may vary depending on the lasting days of PM and PM matter alerts. In addition, the level of averting behavior may vary depending on the types and physical characteristics of urban activities and the degree of vulnerability to PM among people. Although the way people respond to PM may vary depending on these various factors, previous research evidence on this is very insufficient. Therefore, this study multilaterally analyzed the impact of PM on the urban activities in Jongno-gu, one of the CBD areas of Seoul. For this, we linked SKT's mobile phone signal data to land use data to extract the daily number of active people by urban activity types and ages. According to multiple regression analysis, the averting behavior varies depending on the type of urban activity, the physical characteristics of the place of activity(inside and outdoor), the lasting days of PM, PM alerts and the age of people. The results of this study can be used as basic data to policy makers who establish policies for adapting to air pollution policies by providing various effects of PM on the urban activities.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.315-323
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• 2022

Background: Socioeconomical disadvantaged communities are more vulnerable to environmental chemical exposure and associated health effects. However, there is limited information on chemical exposure among vulnerable populations in Korea. Objectives: This study investigated chemical exposure among underprivileged populations. We measured urinary metabolites of phthalates in urban disadvantaged communities and investigated their correlations with residential environment factors and relative socioeconomic vulnerability. Methods: Urine samples were collected from 64 residents in a disadvantaged community in Seoul. A total of eight phthalate metabolites were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Analytical method used by the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) was employed. Covariate variance analysis and general linear regression adjusted with age, sex and smoking were performed. Results: Several phthalate metabolites, namely monomethyl phthalate (MMP), monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MnBP) had higher levels than those reported in the adults of 4th KoNEHS. Notably, the MnBP level was higher in the lower socioeconomic group (geometric mean [GM]=47.3 ㎍/g creatinine) compared to non-recipients (GM=31.9 ㎍/g creatinine) and the national reference level (GM=22.0, 28.2 and 32.2 ㎍/g creatinine for adults, 60's and 70's, respectively.). When age, sex and smoking were adjusted, MEP and MnBP were significantly increased the lower socioeconomic group than non-recipients (p=0.014, p=0.023). The lower socioeconomic group's age of flooring were higher than non-recipients, not statistically significant. Conclusions: These results suggest that a relatively low income and aged flooring could be considered as risk factors for increased levels of phthalate metabolites in socioeconomic vulnerable populations.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.693-710
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• 2022

Social interest in occupational safety and health is increasing due to ESG management and the implementation of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. This study examines the current status of occupational accidents, which is the safety level of energy companies, and the impact of occupational accidents on the management performance (sales per capita, operating profit per capita, operating margin per capita) of energy companies over the period of 2015 to 2021 was empirically analyzed. As a result of the analysis, the level of occupational accidents in the 157 energy companies to be analyzed was lower than the occupational injury accident rate in Korea, but the disease rate was high.As a result of analyzing the impact of occupational accidents on management performance, it is estimated that an increase in the occupational accident rate reduces per capita sales, per capita operating profit, and gross margin rate.Through this study, the vulnerability of energy companies to occupational accidents was confirmed, and the direct and indirect costs of occupational accidents quantified the negative impact on management performance.Referring to the results of this study, energy companies should strengthen their efforts to prevent occupational accidents by increasing investment in safety and health to protect the lives of valuable workers and create sustainable business performance.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.137-158
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• 2018

Online platforms recently expanded their connectivity through an authing service. The growth of authing services enabled consumers to enjoy easy log in access without exerting extra effort. However, multiple points of access increases the security vulnerability of platform ecosystems. Despite the importance of balancing authing service and security, only a few studies examined platform connectivity. This study examines the optimal level of authing service of a platform and how authing strategies impact participants in a platform ecosystem. We used a game-theoretic approach to analyze security problems associated with authing services provided by online platforms for consumers and other linked platforms. The main findings are as follows: 1) the decreased expected loss of consumers will increase the number of players who participate in the platform; 2) linked platforms offer strong benefits from consumers involved in an authing service; 3) the main platform will increase its effort level, which includes security cost and checking of linked platform's security if the expected loss of the consumers is low. Our study contributes to the literature on the relationship between technology convenience and security risk and provides guidelines on authing strategies to platform managers.