• Korean Journal of Remote Sensing
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.355-361
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• 2023

Temperature of the Earth's surface is a crucial physical variable in understanding weather and atmospheric dynamics and in coping with extreme heat events that have a great impact on living organismsincluding humans. Thermalsensors on satellites have been a useful meansfor acquiring surface temperature information for wide areas on the globe, and thus characterization of its estimation uncertainty is of central importance for the utilization of the data. Among various factors that affect the estimation, the uncertainty caused by the algorithm itself has not been tested for the atmospheric environment of Korean vicinity. Thisstudy derivesthe uncertainty of the single-channel algorithm under the local atmospheric and oceanic conditions by using reanalysis data and buoy temperature data collected around Korea. Atmospheric profiles were retrieved from two types of reanalysis data, the fifth generation of European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis of the global climate and weather (ERA5) and Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications-2 (MERRA-2) to investigate the effect of reanalysis data. MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN) was used as a radiative transfer code for simulating top of atmosphere radiance and the atmospheric correction for the temperature estimation. Water temperatures used for MODTRAN simulations and uncertainty estimation for the single-channel algorithm were obtained from marine weather buoyslocated in seas around the Korean Peninsula. Experiment results showed that the uncertainty of the algorithm varies by the water vapor contents in the atmosphere and is around 0.35K in the driest atmosphere and 0.46K in overall, regardless of the reanalysis data type. The uncertainty increased roughly in a linear manner as total precipitable water increased.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.780-788
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationship between famine exposure in early life and the risk of type 2 diabetes in adulthood during the 1959-1961 Chinese Famine. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 3,418 individuals aged 35-74 years free of diabetes from two studies in 2006 and 2009 were followed up prospectively in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Famine exposure was classified as unexposed (individuals born in 1962-1978), fetal exposed (individuals born in 1959-1961), child exposed (individuals born in 1949-1958), and adolescent/adult exposed (born in 1931-1948). A logistic regression model was used to assess the relationship between famine exposure and diabetes after adjustment for potential covariates. RESULTS: During a three-year follow-up, the age-adjusted incidence rates of type 2 diabetes were 5.7%, 14.5%, 12.7%, and 17.8% in unexposed, fetal-exposed, child-exposed, and adolescent/adult-exposed groups, respectively (P < 0.01). Relative to the unexposed group, the relative risks (95% confidence interval) for diabetes were 2.15 (1.29-3.60), 1.53 (0.93-2.51), and 1.65 (0.75-3.63) in the fetal-exposed, child-exposed, and adolescent/adult-exposed groups, after controlling for potential covariates. The interactions between famine exposure and obesity, education level, and family history of diabetes were not observed, except for the urbanization type. Individuals living in rural areas with fetal and childhood famine exposure were at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, with relative risks of 8.79 (1.82-42.54) and 2.33 (1.17-4.65), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that famine exposure in early life is an independent predictor of type 2 diabetes, particularly in women. Early identification and intervention may help prevent diabetes in later life.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.589-612
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• 2019

Korea has undergone rapid modernization and globalization process in the last few decades. The purpose of this study is to explore how shifting traditional values are impacting Korean elderlies and their perceptions of aging experience. In order to understand how changing social and cultural practices are affecting older adults, the similarities and differences among Korean elderlies living in three different geographical locations are examined in a multidimensional comparative framework. Life story interviews were conducted with 30 Korean elderlies (10 urban residents in Korea, 10 rural residents in Korea, and 10 residents in the US). Paying attention to within-group variation, this study particularly focused on analyzing the psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual experiences that made lives meaningful and resilient in old age in spite of physical decline. Based on analysis of narrative, the following major areas were identified as having positive or negative influence on aging experiences: physical health, emotional health, family relationship, work, leisure/social activity, and spirituality. Common themes of aging well across all settings included: "life not indebted to their offspring," "physical and mental health," and "dying well." Spirituality played a critical role in cultivating perspectives on life and accepting aging process, which were rooted in specific religious traditions participants identified (e.g., Christianity or Buddhism). Interesting differences in the meaning of work and leisure were also found between elderlies residing in Korea and the US immigrant context. One unique factor continuing to negatively affect Korean elderly in rural community was related to shame of not obtaining higher education. Implications for future research are also addressed.

• The Journal of The Korea Institute of Intelligent Transport Systems
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.182-199
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• 2023

Since 2021, government departments have been promoting Automated Driving Technology Development and Innovation Project as national research and development(R&D) project. The automated vehicles and service technologies developed as part of these projects are planned to be subsequently provided to the public at the selected Living Lab City. Therefore, it is important to determine a spatial area and operation section that enables safe and stable automated driving, depending on the purpose and characteristics of the target service. In this study, the static Operational Design Domain(ODD) elements for Level 4 automated driving services were reclassified by reviewing previously published papers and related literature surveys and investigating field data. Spatial analysis techniques were used to consider the reclassified ODD elements for level 4 in the real area of level 3 automated driving services because it is important to reflect the spatial factors affecting safety related to real automated driving technologies and services. Consequently, a total of six driving mode changes(disengagement) were derived through spatial information analysis techniques, and the factors affecting the safety of automated driving were crosswalk, traffic light, intersection, bicycle road, pocket lane, caution sign, and median strip. This spatial factor analysis method is expected to be useful for determining special areas for the automated driving service.

• Journal of the Korean Regional Science Association
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.37-51
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• 2024

To respond to local extinction, South Korea, under the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, identified depopulated areas in 2021 and launched the Local Extinction Response Fund in 2022. However, due to its early stage of implementation, analyzing the characteristics and changes of policy response to local extinction at the central government level remains a challenge. In contrast, Japan, facing similar issues of local extinction as South Korea, has established a robust central government-led response system based on the Regional Revitalization Act and the Comprehensive Strategy and Basic Policy on Community-Population-Job Creation. Hence, this study examines Japan's policy responses to local extinction by analyzing the first and second periods of the Comprehensive Strategy and Basic Policy on Community-Population-Job Creation. For the analysis, topic modeling was employed to enhance text analysis efficiency and accuracy, complemented by expert interviews for validation. The results revealed that the first-period strategy's topics encompassed economy and society, start-up, local government, living condition, service, and industry. Meanwhile, the second-period strategy's topics included resource, the New Normal, woman, digital transformation, industry, region, public-private partnership, and population. The analysis highlights that the policy target, policy direction, and environmental change significantly influenced these policy shifts.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.25-35
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• 2024

Background: There are concerns about the health effects of various environmental pollution exposures among residents living near coal-fired power plants (CFPP). Objectives: This study attempted to compare the concentrations of heavy metals in blood and urine and those of urinary volatile organic compound (VOC) metabolites according to the residential separation distance. Methods: Participants in the study totaled 334 people who have lived for more than 10 years in areas within 10 km of a CFPP. The separation distance was analyzed in quartiles by dividing it into Q1 (88 people), Q2 (89 people), Q3 (89 people), and Q4 (68 people). We explained the purpose of this study to the participants and collected blood and urine after obtaining signatures on a participation agreement. Results: The study participants were 102 males (30.5%) and 232 females (69.5%), with an average age of 71. The average length of residence and distance were 43.8 years and 4,800 meters. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Hg in blood and As and Cd in urine were respective 1.35 ㎍/dL, 1.43 ㎍/L, 3.16 ㎍/L. They were 167.88 ㎍/g for creatinine and 1.58 ㎍/g creatinine. The metabolite concentrations of VOCs were 50.67 ㎍/g creatinine in t, t-muconic acid (t, t-MA), 10.73 ㎍/g creatinine in benzyl mercapturic acid, 317.05 ㎍/g creatinine in phenylglyoxylic acid, 123.55 ㎍/g creatinine in methylhippuric acid, and 190.82 ㎍/g creatinine in mandelic acid. The concentration of Pb in the blood and Cd and t, t-MA in the urine of residents within affected area of the CFPP showed statistically significant differences among distance groups. Conclusions: The concentration of urinary VOCs metabolites, especially t, t-MA, differed according to the distance groups of residents within the affected area of CFPP (p<0.05).

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.413-421
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• 2020

Objective: A widely applicable, non-invasive screening method for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is needed. We aimed to develop and validate an index combining computed tomography (CT) and routine clinical data for screening for NAFLD in a large cohort of adults with pathologically proven NAFLD. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 2218 living liver donors who had undergone liver biopsy and CT within a span of 3 days. Donors were randomized 2:1 into development and test cohorts. CTL-S was measured by subtracting splenic attenuation from hepatic attenuation on non-enhanced CT. Multivariable logistic regression analysis of the development cohort was utilized to develop a clinical-CT index predicting pathologically proven NAFLD. The diagnostic performance was evaluated by analyzing the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The cutoffs for the clinical-CT index were determined for 90% sensitivity and 90% specificity in the development cohort, and their diagnostic performance was evaluated in the test cohort. Results: The clinical-CT index included CTL-S, body mass index, and aspartate transaminase and triglyceride concentrations. In the test cohort, the clinical-CT index (AUC, 0.81) outperformed CTL-S (0.74; p < 0.001) and clinical indices (0.73-0.75; p < 0.001) in diagnosing NAFLD. A cutoff of ≥ 46 had a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 41%, whereas a cutoff of ≥ 56.5 had a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 89%. Conclusion: The clinical-CT index is more accurate than CTL-S and clinical indices alone for the diagnosis of NAFLD and may be clinically useful in screening for NAFLD.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.213-225
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• 2005

Objectives: This study was carried out to evaluate the socio-demographic, style of living, and health related behaviors of community residents between urban and rural areas in Jeonbuk province. Methods: The data was obtained from 2,086 residents who lived in Jeonbuk province from July to September 2001 which included 1,238 residents in urban area and 848 residents in rural area. Results: The results were as follows; There were significant differences socio-demographic characteristics including occupation and educational level of the populations between urban and rural areas. In the urban populations, housewives, professional classes, and people who received collage graduate education were significantly higher, people who were engaged in the primary industries and lower educational classes(below middle school), in contrast, were significantly lower than in the rural populations. In the practice of health behavior, consumption of health foods and amount of exercise in urban populations were significantly higher than in the rural, whereas the state of health, prevalence of chronic disease, Body Mass Index(BMI), consumption of ethanol and cigarette, and hours of sleep were not significantly different between the urban and rural populations. In the eating habits, rate of surfeit, vaccination of hepatitis B, and screening of cancer in the urban populations were significantly higher than in the rural, rate of regular meal, taste of salted food, consumption of vegetables, in contrast. were significantly lower than in the rural. But, consumption of coffee, intake of meat, and periodic medical checkup were not significantly different between urban and rural communities. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the factors associated with subjective thought on health state were sex, age, occupation, educational level, exercise, and consumption of coffee. Logistic regression analysis to find related factor with prevalence of chronic disease was conducted. As a results, age, educational level, BMI, intake of meat, screening of cancer, and consumption of health foods were related to prevalence of chronic disease. Conclusions: The study showed that special attention to device the health plan are necessary and it suggested that consideration of regional differences are required to provide the community health projects.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.134-144
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• 2008

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate body shape perception, weight control behaviors and eating habits of adolescent girls in urban, suburban and rural areas of Korea to obtain basis for establishing adequate weight control program for adolescent. Methods : From May 2002 to November 2002, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey and physical examination were conducted to examine body shape perception, weight control behaviors, eating habits and health status of 2,891 adolescent girls and 891 boys in Seoul, Ansan and Paju. Results : The proportion of underweight adolescent girl was decreased in rural area than in urban area. 46.3% of girls considered themselves to be somehow or very obese. Notably 3.2% of underweight girls considered themselves obese. 57.9% were unsatisfied with their own body shape. The proportion of dissatisfaction increased with age and body mass index (BMI), but there were no differences among area. The experiences of weight control increased by age, BMI and dissatisfaction of own body shape. The eating attitudes test-26 (EAT-26) score of girls was significantly higher than that of boys. The girls with high risk of eating disorder were 10.9%. And risk factors of eating disorder were living in urban area, severe stress for weight control excessive expenditure for appearance and think themselves unhealthy. Conclusion : The findings of this study demonstrate that there were serious impairment of body shape perception of adolescent girls and unhealthy, inadequate weight control behaviors were widely done. Therefore adequate weight control program for adolescent girl should be established promptly.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.160-170
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• 2017

The purpose of this study is to perform clustering of the habitat types and to identify the characteristics of species in the habitat types using mammal data (70,562) of the 3rd National Ecosystem Survey conducted from 2006 to 2012. The 15 habitat types recorded in the field-paper of the 3rd National ecosystem survey were reclassified, which was followed by the statistical analysis of mammal habitat types. In the habitat types cluster analysis, non-hierarchical cluster analysis (k-means cluster analysis), hierarchical cluster analysis, and non-metric multidimensional scaling method were applied to 14 habitat types recorded more than 30 times. A total of 7 Orders, 16 Families, and 39 Species of mammals were identified in the 3rd National Ecosystem Survey collected nationwide. When 11 clusters were classified by habitat types, the simple structure index was the highest (ssi = 0.07). As a result of the similarities and hierarchies between habitat types suggested by the hierarchical clustering analysis, the residential areas were the most different habitat types for mammals; the next following type was a cluster together with rivers and coasts. The results of the non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis demonstrated that both Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus restrictively appeared in a residential area, which is the most discriminating habitat type. Lutra lutra restrictively appeared in coastal and river areas. In summary, according to our results, the mammalian habitat can be divided into the following four types: (1) the forest type (using forest as the main habitat and migration route); (2) the river type (using water as the main habitat); (3) the residence habitat (living near residential area); and (4) the lowland type (consuming grain or seeds as the main feeding resource).