• Title/Summary/Keyword: environmental factors.

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Role for Epigenetic Mechanisms in Major Depression (우울증의 후생유전적 기전의 역할)

  • Kim, Jae-Won;Yoon, Bong-June
    • Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry
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    • v.18 no.4
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    • pp.181-188
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    • 2011
  • Major depression is a devastating disorder of which lifetime prevalence rate is as high as up to 25% in general population. Although the etiology of the disorder is still poorly understood, it is generally accepted that both genetic and environmental factors are involved in the precipitation of depression. Stressful lifetime events are potent precipitating environmental factors for major depression and early-life stress is in particular an important element that predisposes individuals to major depression later in life. How environmental factors such as stress can make our neural networks susceptible to depression and how those factors leave long-lasting influences have been among the major questions in the field of depression research. Epigenetic regulations can provide a bridging mechanism between environmental factors and genetic factors so that these two factors can additively determine individual predispositions to major depression. Here we introduce epigenetic regulations as candidate mechanisms that mediate the integration of environmental adversaries with genetic predispositions, which may lead to the development of major depression, and summarize basic molecular events that underlie epigenetic regulations as well as experimental evidences that support the active role of epigenetic regulation in major depression.

Exploring Environmental Factors Affecting Strawberry Yield Using Pattern Recognition Techniques

  • Cho, Wanhyun;Park, Yuha;Na, Myung Hwan;Choi, Don-Woo
    • Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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    • v.20 no.1
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    • pp.39-46
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    • 2019
  • This paper investigates the importance of various environmental factors that have a strong influence on strawberry yields grown in greenhouse using the pattern recognition methods. The environmental factors influencing the production of strawberries were six factors such as average inside temperature, average inside humidity, average $CO_2$ level, average soil temperature, cumulative solar radiation, and average illumination. The results of analyzing the observed data using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) showed that the most significant factor influencing the strawberry production was average soil temperature, average inside humidity, and cumulative solar radiation. Second, the results of analyzing the observed data using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) showed that the most influential factors on the strawberry yields, such as average $CO_2$ level, average inside humidity, and average illumination were differently given for each farms. However, these results are based on the distance in 3D space and can be deduced from the fact that there is not a large difference between these distances. Therefore, in order to increase the harvest of strawberries cultivated in the farms, it is necessary to manage the environmental factors such as thoroughly controlling the humidity and maintaining the concentration of $CO_2$ constantly by ventilation of the greenhouse.

Development of Stress-tolerant Crop Plants

  • Park, Hyung-In;Kang, Jung-Youn;Sohn, Hee-Kyung;Kim, Soo-Young
    • Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.53-58
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    • 2002
  • Adverse environmental conditions such as drought, high salt and cold/freezing are major factors that reduces crop productivity worldwide. According to a survey, 50-80% of the maximum potential yield is lost by these "environmental or abiotic stresses", which is approximately ten times higher than the loss by biotic stresses. Thus, improving stress-tolerance of crop plants is an important way to improve agricultural productivity, In order to develop such stress-tolerant crop plants, we set out to identify key stress signaling components that can be used to develop commercially viable crop varieties with enhanced stress tolerance. Our primary focus so far has been on the identification of transcription factors that regulate stress responsive gene expression, especially those involved in ABA-mediated stress response. Be sessile, plants have the unique capability to adapt themselves to the abiotic stresses. This adaptive capability is largely dependent on the plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA), whose level increases under various stress conditions, triggering adaptive response. Central to the response is ABA-regulated gene expression, which ultimately leads to physiological changes at the whole plant level. Thus, once identified, it would be possible to enhance stress tolerance of crop plants by manipulating the expression of the factors that mediate ABA-dependent stress response. Here, we present our work on the isolation and functional characterization of the transcription factors.n factors.

Grounded Theory Analysis on the Formation Process of Pro-environmental Behavior for Outdoor Recreation Participants (아웃도어 레크리에이션 참여자의 친환경행동 형성과정에 관한 근거 이론적 분석)

  • Kim, Bong-Ju;Park, Soo-Jung;Kim, Min-Kyu
    • 한국체육학회지인문사회과학편
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    • v.54 no.5
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    • pp.607-618
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    • 2015
  • This study aims to investigate overall factors regarding participation process such as process to pro-environmental behavior, pro-environmental behavior, continuing factors and constraint factors of outdoor recreation participants, and to determine logical correlation between them in order to make a theory model. To this end, grounded theory approach is applied for interpretation. First, pro-environmental behavior of outdoor recreation participants was formed by sequential influence of causal conditions and situational context. Second, outdoor recreation participants who participated in pro-environmental behavior of central phenomenon experienced peculiar continuing factors and constraint factors but it was found they also experienced general continuing factors and constraint factors. Third, it was analyzed that resultant settlement of pro-environmental leisure activities was partially fed back to the participation continuing factors of mediating conditions and a club of interaction strategy. Result from this study will give a help to widely understand experience of participation in leisure and restraints on leisure of outdoor recreation participants, and to development of study through organic combination between subsequent researches.

Study on the Interrelationship among the Environmental Factors in Environmental Impact Assessment (환경영향평가에서의 평가항목간 상호연계성에 관한 연구)

  • Kang, Myung-Hwi;Lee, Mu-Choon
    • Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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    • v.8 no.3
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    • pp.49-59
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    • 1999
  • In this study, we individualize the clauses to sort out the troubled ones, draw up a interrelation model in order to visually organize the relations, and finally, suggest the desirable application idea. The interrelation model suggested in this study has been made based on the matrix method. On this matrix, we arranged the environmental factors on horizontal and vertical axis, and when we describe the relation of each factors, we set the horizontal axis as the base and divided the content into three grades : Fine, Medium, and Poor. In addition to that, we expressed those three grades into numerical value like 3 points for Level Fine, 2 points for Level Medium, and 1 point for Level Poor and then, we converted this numerical values into index numbers. We could classify the index numbers such as AS, PS, Q-index, P-index. AS is an index numerically shows the degree of giving environmental effect, PS is an index numerically shows the degree of receiving environmental effect, Q-index is an index shows the aggravate degree, and P-index shows the relation degree. The Q/P-index with large numbers has considerable effect on the environmental system, while the small numbered Q/P-index barely effect on the environmental system. Moreover, we classified the environmental factors into 5 levels(I~V) according to the relations between the Q-index and P-index. Level I is less affected by the environment and has more giving effect, while Level V is more sensitively affected by the environment and has more receiving effect, which we considered important. Therefore, we could come up with the result that if we consider the each level of factors when we evaluate the EIA, the result would be far more accurate and reliable since it contains mutual relation aspect of EIA. The suggested interrelation model in this thesis is presentable as one of those scoping system. We highly believe the need of scoping system in EIA and suggest the interrelation model as the alternative idea for scoping system.

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Affecting Factors of Personal Exposure to Toluene according to Sociodemographic Characterization and Time-activity Pattern (사회·인구학적 요인과 시간활동양상에 따른 톨루엔 개인노출의 영향요인 분석)

  • Jung, Soon-Won;Lee, Seok-Yong;Kim, Hyun jeong;Choi, Wookhee;Kim, Suejin;Yu, Seungdo;Yang, Wonho
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.43 no.2
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    • pp.157-166
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    • 2017
  • Objectives: Exposure to hazardous air pollutants could be affected by sociodemographic factors such as age, gender and more. Information on time spent in microenvironments has a critical role in exposure assessment. The purpose of this study was to analyze the exposure pathways which influence personal exposure through time-activity patterns and sociodemographic factors. Methods: A total of 379 subjects were collected from the second term of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey. A questionnaire survey in relation to sociodemographic factors and a time-activity diary were carried out for personal exposure to toluene. Focusing on personal exposure to toluene, factors affecting personal exposure were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results: Participants spent their time in an indoor house for $16.8{\pm}4.0hr$, workplace or school $2.3{\pm}3.5hr$, and other indoor $2.1{\pm}2.2hr$. Sociodemographic factors were significantly different among each personal exposure and microenvironment. Time of staying at an office turned out to be a main factor from point of exposure in exposure pathway using multiple regression analysis. As a result, this means that exposure may be different according to the time of staying in each microenvironment. Conclusions: Personal exposure to air pollutants might be decided by time-activity pattern indicating when, where, and which activities people pursue, as well as individual sociodemographic factors.

Status and Prospects of the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) (국민환경보건기초조사의 현황 및 전망)

  • Park, Choonghee;Yu, Seung Do
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.40 no.1
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    • pp.1-9
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    • 2014
  • Objectives: The purpose of this review is to suggest future directions for the Korean Environmental Health Survey (KoNEHS) in terms of an environmental health monitoring system and recent environmental health issues in Korea. Methods: The national scale biomonitoring program and environmental health researches which conducted by Ministry of Environment was reviewed for this study. The scope, contents and utilization of results of KoNEHS as a biomonitoring program and other basic function for environmental health monitoring was analyzed. Results: Biomonitoring survey was conducted for basic functions, such as evaluating exposure levels of environmental chemicals and analyzing exposure factors. In order to expand the basic purposes of KoNEHS, the biomonitoring function should be strengthened by enlarging the range of chemicals analyzed and including all age groups in the biomonitoring and health status monitoring functions by using official health-care and mortality data. Exposure factors such as time-activity patterns and micro-environmental pollution levels were studied. The data from the environmental health study were established into a standardized database system for supporting environmental health policy. A definition and concept of environmental health services should be established. Conclusion: To achieve the aims of environmental health, changes in environmental health status and related factors must be observed and predicted reflecting real conditions. In this regard, improving the methodology and system through diverse approaches is necessary for KoNEHS.

Urinary Exposure Levels of Cotinine and Influence Factors among Non-smokers in Korean Adults - Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2009-2017) - (우리나라 성인 중 비흡연자에 대한 코티닌 노출수준 및 영향요인 분석 - 국민환경보건 기초조사(2009-2017) 결과 -)

  • Jeon, Hye Li;Hong, Sooyeon;Joo, Youngkyung;Kwon, Young Min;Jung, Sun Kyoung;Lee, Chulwoo;Yu, Seung Do;Yoo, Jiyoung
    • Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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    • v.46 no.2
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    • pp.214-223
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    • 2020
  • Objectives: The aim of this study is to identify temporal trends in urinary cotinine levels and exposure factors among Non-smokers in Korean adults. Methods: Biological samples and questionnaire data were collected from representative Korean adults recruited in the Korean National Environmental Health Survey from 2009 to 2017. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting urinary cotinine concentrations of non-smokers. Results: The urinary cotinine levels of Korean non-smokers decreased in Cycle 2 (1.04 ㎍/L, 2012-2014) compared to Cycle 1 (1.93 ㎍/L, 2009-2011) but increased slightly in Cycle 3 (1.37 ㎍/L, 2015-2017). Among the diverse variables, the main factors of cotinine exposure were secondhand smoke exposure and the presence of smokers in the family. Conclusions: The results of this study identified temporal trends in cotinine exposure among non-smokers in the Korean adult population. These findings will be used to develop further assessment and environmental health policies on secondhand smoke exposure.

Correlation Analysis between Meteorological Factors and Crop Products (농산물 생산량과 기상요소의 상관관계 분석)

  • Lee, Ki-Kwang;Ko, Kwang-Kun;Lee, Joong-Woo
    • Journal of Environmental Science International
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    • v.21 no.4
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    • pp.461-470
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    • 2012
  • Agriculture is more influenced by environmental factors rather than other industries. Among the environmental factors, the meteorological conditions mainly impact the output of agricultural products. Hence, the purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of meteorological factors on the output of elemental agricultural products. As a first step, we obtained the data of the meteorological factors (i.e., precipitation, humidity, temperature, insolation, snowdrifts, wind velocity) and the output of the various agricultural products (i.e., grain, fruits and vegetables, root crops, green vegetables, seasoned vegetables, fruits, special crops) from the year 1990 to 2009 (20 years) of Seoul and the six metropolitan cities in Korea. Then, the analysis of the correlation between the agricultural product with the largest output and the meteorological factors of the place where the corresponding agricultural product is most produced, was carried out in order to determine the core meteorological factor that most impacts the output of agricultural product. The correlation analysis revealed that humidity, insolation and wind velocity have been the crucial meteorological factors to influence the output of the agricultural products. From the result, we can induce that the meteorological forecast information about the vital meteorological factors, i.e., humidity, insolation and wind velocity, facilitates the optimized cultivation plan to maximize the output of agricultural products.

A Study on the effect of SCM Integration and Green SCM practices to Environmental Performance (공급체인 통합과 친환경 활동이 환경성과에 미치는 영향에 관한 연구)

  • Kim, Changbong;Jung, Sunnam
    • International Area Studies Review
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    • v.15 no.1
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    • pp.447-466
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    • 2011
  • This paper examined the supply chain management Integration factors and environmental performance in Korean industry. Focusing on SCM Integration, GreenSCM practice, and environmental performance factors, purpose of this study is finding linkage between SCM Integration factors with new environmental practice factors and environmental performance. Based on the analysis of eighty-eight cases, the following results were found. First, We found External environmental collaboration factors and Internal environmental monitoring factors within Green Supply Chain Practices. Second, SCM Integration have a positively significant influence on environmental performance. Third, Internal environmental monitoring factors have a positively significant influence on Environmental performance but External environmental collaboration factors doesn't. This study suggests that only with high level of Integration firms may have good result on entire supply chain environmental performance. Finally, our empirical evidence shows that company should be prepared for new environmental trade regulation with Green Supply chain management integration.