• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.165-176
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• 2012

The objective of this study is to set urban ecosystem assessment indicators, assess the status of the urban ecosystems in 31 cities & counties in the capital region and based on which, to examine an improvement plan to resolve problems and raise quality and quantity of urban ecosystems. The study showed that the ecological base of 31 cities & counties was 48% on average, which indicates that their ecological property is the middle class. Their natural-ecological function was 63% and environmental-control function was 25%, showing that environment-control function was poor. Therefore, going forward, urban ecological base should be further improved. When securing an ecological base, creation techniques should be able to further enhance environmental-control function along with natural-ecological function. Also, additional effort should be made to conserve areas with high ecological value as much as possible and increase vegetation vitality by replacing tree species.

• Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.276-283
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of environmental factors on depressive-like behavior and memory function during adolescence. We performed behavior tests in adolescent rats exposed to environmental enrichment, handling, and social deprivation for eight weeks. Methods: Wistar rats were randomly assigned to control, environmental enrichment, handling, and social deprivation groups at the age of four weeks. Results: In the forced swim test, the immobility time in the environmental enrichment group was decreased than that in the control group (p=.038), while the immobility time in the social deprivation group was increased than that in the control group (p=.035), the environmental enrichment group (p<.001), and the handling group (p=.001). In the Morris water maze test, the social deprivation group had an increased latency time than the control group (p=.013) and the environmental enrichment group (p=.001). In the passive avoidance test, the environmental enrichment group had an increased latency time than the control group (p=.005). However, the social deprivation group had reduced latency time than the socially housed groups (control: p=.030; environmental enrichment: p<.001; handling: p<.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that environmental factors play an important role in emotion and memory function during adolescence.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.9-18
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• 2011

In this study the optimal volume for non-point source control retention is estimated considering spatio-temporal variation of land surface. The 3-parameter mixed exponential probability density function is used to represent the statistical properties of rainfall events, and NRCS-CN method is applied as rainfall-runoff transformation. The catchment drainage area is divided into individual $30m{\times}30m$ cells, and runoff curve number is estimated at each cell. Using the derived probability density function theory, the stormwater probability density function at each cell is derived from the rainfall probability density function and NRCS-CN rainfall-runoff transformation. Considering the antecedent soil moisture condition at each cell and the spatial variation of CN value at the whole catchment drainage area, the ensemble stormwater capture curve is established to estimate the optimal volume for an non-point source control retention. The comparison between spatio-temporally varied land surface and constant land surface is presented as a case study for a urban drainage area.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.102-115
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to establish the evaluation model through the systematic process of selecting the indicators and to evaluate the environmental-control function on forest using GIS in Deagu for the sustainable forest planning. The 35 indicators as basic items were selected by literature review and those were squeezed into the 29 indicators through expert brainstorming. Also, the 8 indicators to evaluate environmental-control function were selected by the first survey and the 5 final indicators such as carbon sink, temperature decrease, wind formation, water circulation, air purification were determined by MCB analysis using the second survey. The evaluation model was established through the weight of each indicator by AHP analysis using the third survey. According to the result of evaluating the environmental-control function on forest, the functions around the top area of Mt. Ap, Mt. Biseul, Mt. Palgong had more than 66 scores. On the other hand, the functions around Mt. Waryong and forest of Chilgok in Buk-gu had less than 40 scores. It is necessary to improve the function through the sustainable restoration and management in case of forest that the environmental-control function was lower. Furthermore, these results will be able to be utilized as basic data in order to establish the preservation area and control development area at the urban, environmental, and forest planning.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2007

This study was carried out to know how erosion control function of forests varies as forests develop in watersheds. The erosion control function among the forest welfare functions can be estimated by comparing sediment yield in stocked with non-stocked area. Sediment yield of reservoirs in stocked area were collected from farmland improvement associations. The sediment yields in non-stocked area were using USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) in the same reservoirs. Forests' erosion control function estimated by differences of the sediment yield between stocked and non-stocked area was static model because of no consideration on forest aging. Dynamic model was developed to consider a forest stand age. The model comprises the relationship between average forest age in watershed and sediment yield. The amount of sediment yield was different depending mother rocks. It decreased exponentially according to the forest's grow up. In case of igneous rock, the volume of sediment yield $Y_{ig}=1.4431e\;^{0.023x}$(x=average forest age), metamorphic rock $Y_{me}=4.7115e\;^{0.0694x}$, and sedimentary rock $Y_{se}=1.2808e\;^{0.028x}$.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.182-192
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• 2011

Objectives: This study aims to identify the influential factors on the pulmonary function of targeted general residents in the areas surrounding Gwangyang Steel Mill. Methods: An PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) was conducted from May 2007 to November 2007 on 974 target residents (438 male, 536 female), including an exposed group (674 people) who resided within a radius of 5 km from Gwangyang Steel Mill in Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do and a control group (300 people) who resided outside a radius of 15 km. A survey related to personal characteristics, life habits, respiratory diseases and allergic symptoms, medical histories and living environments of the residents was also conducted to identify influential factors on pulmonary function. Results: As %$FEV_1$ and %FVC of the exposed group are 99.17% and 96.98%, respectively, and those of the control group are 105.47% and 101.91%, respectively, with the PFT values of the exposed group being lower than those of the control group (p<0.001), it turns out that the pollution in the industrial complex is likely to trigger a reduction in the pulmonary function of local residents. The odds ratio analysis result for asthma diagnosis history indicates that the odds ratios tend to be higher among surveyed residents who are living near above-average traffic volumes and are using beds, where it is statistically meaningful that especially the odds ratios are higher if the residences are closer to roads (p<0.01, CI=1.12-4.52). The factors that affect the FEV1 are identified as smoking, passive smoking, asthma diagnosis history, nasal congestion symptoms and allergic eye disease ($R^2$=0.154, p<0.001). The factors that affect the FVC are identified as smoking, passive smoking, asthma diagnosis history and allergic coryza ($R^2$=0.158, p<0.001). In addition, the analysis result for the relevance of air pollution levels to pulmonary function ($FEV_1$, FVC) shows that FEV1 and FVC tend to decrease as the concentration of $O_3$ increases. Conclusions: We believe that this study may provide preliminary data for the development of preventive measures for health effects on the residents and environmental health control measures for environmental pollution in the industrial complex area.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.305-314
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• 2017

This study aimed to predict changes in forest area using a probability density function, in order to promote effective forest management in the area north of the civilian control line (known as the Minbuk area) in Korea. Time series analysis (2010 and 2016) of forest area using land cover maps and accessibility expressed by distance covariates (distance from buildings, roads, and civilian control line) was applied to a probability density function. In order to estimate the probability density function, mean and variance were calculated using three methods: area weight (AW), area rate weight (ARW), and sample area change rate weight (SRW). Forest area increases in regions with lower accessibility (i.e., greater distance) from buildings and roads, but no relationship with accessibility from the civilian control line was found. Estimation of forest area change using different distance covariates shows that SRW using distance from buildings provides the most accurate estimation, with around 0.98-fold difference from actual forest area change, and performs well in a Chi-Square test. Furthermore, estimation of forest area until 2028 using SRW and distance from buildings most closely replicates patterns of actual forest area changes, suggesting that estimation of future change could be possible using this method. The method allows investigation of the current status of land cover in the Minbuk area, as well as predictions of future changes in forest area that could be utilized in forest management planning and policymaking in the northern area.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.44-52
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• 2009

It is known that individual factors as cognitive, perception, emotion, and motivation may greatly influence on recovery from neurologic region. This study was to investigate the effects of environmental reinforcement through motivation to perform the tasks voluntarily on motor and cognition function in rats with focal ischemic brain injury. Focal ischemic brain injury was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats (15 rats, $250{\pm}50$ g) through middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo). And then, experiment groups were randomly divided into three groups; The control group: MCAo induction ($n_1$=5), the environmental reinforcement (ER) group: the application for ER after MCAo induction ($n_2$=5), the environmental reinforcement through motivation (ERM) group: the application for ERM after MCAo induction ($n_3$=5). The climbing test (CT) and the modified limb placing tests (MLPTs) to measure the motor function and the Morris water maze acquisition test (MWMAT) and the Morris water maze retention test (MWMRT) to measure the cognitive function were performed. For the CT, the ERM group was significantly larger than the ER group. For the MLPTs, the ERM group was significantly decreased compared to other groups. For the MWMAT, the time to find the circular platform in the ERM group significantly decreased compared to other groups. For the MWMRT, the time to dwell on the quadrant circular platform in the ERM group was significantly increased compared to other groups. These results suggested that the ERM could improve the motor and cognitive functions in the rats with focal ischemic brain injury.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2013

Cynomorium songaricum (CS) has been used in traditional Korean medicine in treating male impotence and sexual dysfunction. We investigated the effects of aqueous CS extract on the reproductive activity of golden hamsters whose spermatogenetic capacity is active in summer and inactive in winter. The animals were divided into 5 groups: long photoperiod (LP) control, short photoperiod (SP) control, and SP animals treated with low, middle, or high concentrations of CS. The animals were orally ingested with low (0.5 g/kg), middle (1.0 g/kg), or high (2.5 g/kg) concentrations of the aqueous extracts for 8 weeks on the daily basis. The control animals received the vehicle. As results, the LP control animals showed active testicular function but SP control animals displayed remarkably reduced testicular weights. The outcomes of the reproductive activity from low and middle concentrations of CS treatments were identical and marked as low dose. The consequences were a partial blocking of regressing activity by SP. On the other hand, the animals treated with high dose of CS extract showed remarkable significance in comparison to the SP control, indicative of a complete blocking effect of the CS on the regressing testes by SP. There were a dose-dependent effects of the CS on the sexual function. These results suggest that the CS extract promotes the male fertility by strengthening the spermatogenesis in the golden hamsters.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.695-697
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• 2005