• Gut and Liver
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.615-622
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• 2018

Despite the well-proven, safe and effective therapies for hepatitis B infection, delivery of treatment remains a significant challenge in resource-poor settings. Geopolitical and economic restrictions present additional difficulties in providing care in North Korea. However, treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B remains a top priority for both the North Korean Ministry of Public Health and international agencies working in North Korean hepatitis healthcare facilities. Working in partnership, a path was created to institute this much-needed program. A consortium of United States and Australian humanitarian non-governmental organizations along with generous individual and corporate donors working in concert with local and national health authorities have succeeded in establishing the first hepatitis B treatment program in North Korea. The essential elements of this program include renovation of existing hepatitis hospitals, access to antiviral medications, establishment of laboratory facilities, creation of medical documentation and record-keeping, training of local health care professionals, and quarterly visits by international volunteer physicians and laboratory experts. Management and treatment decisions are made bilaterally. To date, nearly 1,500 patients have been evaluated, and over 800 have been started on long-term antiviral therapy. It is envisioned that this program will eventually be managed and funded by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Ministry of Public Health. This program's success demonstrates a potential model for delivery of antiviral therapy for patients suffering from hepatitis B in other developing countries.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.5-8
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• 2016

Purpose - With its considerable water resources, Lao People's Democratic Republic, hereafter Lao PDR, is considered to become the "battery" of the Southeast Asia region in the next 20 years. This paper explores the investment opportunity in the hydroelectricity development project in the Lao PDR. Research design, data, and methodology - Three significant investment factors including cultural factor, political factors, and economic factors are being literally analyzed. In fulfilling the purpose of this analysis, Num Theun 2 Power Company or NTPC, a current largest hydropower project in the country, is selected for an example of a mega investment project model in the country. Results - NTPC's investment plan, budgets, and current revenue and rate of return are briefly discussed throughout the paper. In addition, this paper also briefly compares and contrasts of the investment in the Lao PDR and investment in its neighboring Singapore who is considered one of the leading developed economies in the region. Conclusions - A recommendation is being proposed on the last section of this paper in the areas that Lao PDR may consider adopting in order to make its investment environment becomes more attractive to foreign investors.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2009

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.151-162
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• 2019

The paper examines the effects of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the economic growth of Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) between 1993 and 2015. The investigation is based on the influence of growth and economic absorptive capability determinants such as human capital, trade openness, and institutional quality. The methodological analysis uses a multivariate framework accounting capital stock, labor stock, FDI, human capital, trade openness, and institutional quality in regression of the Vector Autoregressive model. Augmented Dickey-Fuller unit root test, Johansen Cointegration test, and Granger Causality test were applied as parts of the econometric time-series analysis approach. The empirical results demonstrate the positive effects of FDI and trade openness, and the negative effects of human capital and institutional quality on the economic growth of the Lao PDR over the 1993 to 2015 period. The findings confirm that trade openness complemented by a sufficient level of infrastructure, education, quality institutions, and transparency significantly influence economic growth and attract more FDI. Research results lend credence to the need for the Lao PDR's government to focus on improving its economic absorptive capability and economic competitiveness regionally and globally by improving wealth and resource management strategies, as failure to take this course of action could lead to the Dutch Disease effects.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.26
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• pp.1.1-1.6
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• 2011

Plasmodium vivax malaria has occurred annually in the Republic of Korea (ROK) since its re-emergence in 1993. P. vivax malaria in ROK has been strongly influenced by infected mosquitoes originating from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Korean P. vivax malaria has shown typical characteristics of unstable malaria transmitted only during the summer season, and displays short and long incubation periods. The changing pattern of the transmission period can be predicted by analyzing the seasonal characteristics of early primary attack cases with a short incubation period. Such cases began to gradually occur earlier in the 1990s after the re-emergence. Most of the malaria cases after mid-August are presumed to be early primary attack, short incubation period cases. Only primary transmission was possible until the early 2000s, whereas up to fourth or fifth transmission occurred in the mid-2000s. The results indicate that the length of transmission period has been gradually extending, which may be ascribed to a climate change-mediated temperature rise. Malaria and climate data should be integrated to analyze and predict the influence of climate change on malaria occurrence in ROK.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.18-21
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• 2006

Though there are several definitions for the Northeast Asia, in this paper Northeast Asia is defined as the geographical sphere including five countries. Those five countries are China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea. For the announcement of regional preparatory process at the $4^{th}$ World Water Forum (4WWF), basic characteristics and main water-related issues were surveyed in the Northeast Asian countries. This paper is mainly composed of basic characteristics of each country, main water challenges, implemented strategies, successful experiences and local actions, etc. The five countries provided one's country report on the Government basis in 2004 to Korea Water Forum (KWF) as the coordinator of Northeast Asia for the 4WWF. KWF summarized the report of each country very briefly as follows.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.259-263
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• 2013

Human taeniasis was investigated in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) between 2000 and 2011 as part of the nation's helminthiasis survey. A total of 55,038 inhabitants, including 29,846 school children, were examined using the Kato-Katz and scotch-tape anal swab method, and morphological observation of adult worms. Molecular identification of Taenia tapeworms was performed by multiplex PCR or DNA sequence analysis of the mitochondrial cox1 gene. Taenia eggs were present at a rate of 1.5% (845/55,038) in the subject population. Adult tapeworms were identified as T. solium or T. saginata by analyzing the collectable stool specimens (n=126). Three specimens identified as T. solium were found in Luang Prabang, while the remaining 123 specimens, which were T. saginata, were found in Bokeo, Bolikhamxay, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouane, Luang Namta, Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Phongsaly, Saysomboune, Saravane, Savannakhet, Xayaboury, Xekong, Xieng Khouang Province, and Vientiane Municipality.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2020

A revised checklist of the Korean Plecoptera is updated here, with 10 families, 36 genera, and 95 species are reported. Pictetiella asiatica Zwick & Levanidova, Claassenia radiata (Klapálek), Xanthoneuria unimaculata (Zhiltzova) and Sweltsa sp. Ko (temporary name) are known only from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Nemoura sahlbergi Morton, Perlomyia kiritshenkoi Zhiltzova, and Neoperla adamantea Murányi & Li are reported for the Republic of Korea in this study. Nemoura ussuriensis Zhiltzova, Capnia sidimiensis Zhiltzova, Eucapnopsis quattuorsegmentata Okamoto, Yoraperla uenoi (Kohno), Isoperla kozlovi Zhiltzova, and Kamimuria lyubaretzi Teslenko are new from the Korean peninsula. Materials, bibliographic data, diagnoses for newly recorded species, and their distributions are provided.

• Journal of Species Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.63-78
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• 2014

32 mite species are listed from the Korean Peninsula. One species belongs to the order Prostigmata, family Cryptognathidae, the order Mesostigmata has 20 species and the order Oribatida contains 11 species. Four species from the listed 32 are new for the fauna of the Korean Peninsula, one species belongs to the order Prostigmata (Favognathus maritimus (Shiba, 1969)) and three new species are Oribatida [Camisia biurus (Koch, 1839), Camisia biverrucata (Koch, 1839), Camisia horrida (Hermann, 1804)]. The 28 of the found species are collected in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; the others were collected in the area of Republic of Korea. Illustrations and short descriptions about the newly found and rarely collected species are given.

• Journal of Wetlands Research
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2023

The wetland ecosystem has a key role in climate change and can capture and store carbon long-term as blue carbon. Currently, the Republic of Korea and People's Republic of China are preparing for the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Phase II inscription, and cross-border cooperation among the two Koreas and the People's Republic of China is expected in term of the coastal wetland in the Yellow Sea region. However, there is a lack of research on the importance of coastal wetland in the Yellow Sea region for migratory bird habitats, roosting sites, feeding grounds, and stop-over sites. Thus, this study focused on the coastal wetland of the Yellow Sea region, including the southwestern coastal wetlands in the Republic of Korea, the Yancheng National Nature Reserve in the People's Republic of China designated as UNESCO World Natural Heritage, and the Mundok Migratory Bird Reserve in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which is listed on the Tentative List. The cooperation for ecosystem conservation between the two Koreas and China was analyzed. The importance of coastal wetlands in the Yellow Sea region as habitats for migratory birds, roosting sites, feeding grounds, and stop-over sites, significant characteristics of Yellow Sea coastal wetlands, and conditions for cooperation among three countries, were analyzed. The direction of ecosystem conservation cooperation for coastal wetlands in the Yellow Sea region in this study will be developed into Pan-Yellow Sea conservation.