• 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.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.9-30
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• 1994

Environmental Impact Assessment System, ever since its enactment in Korea fourteen years ago, has been steadily improved by introduction and implementation of new concepts and methodologies which include Environmental Impact Statement(EIS) preparation technique, selection of environmental factors, and the like. However, current guideline requires that every EIS, regardless of the specifics of the project type or characteristics of the site, must evaluate and study for all twenty-two environmental factors as set forth in the regulation. The situation causes many undesirable problems like; lack of site specific evaluation in most EISs, over-sized EIS drafts, consuming too much time and costs for EIS preparation, and so on. The objectives of this study are: - To establish a set of criteria to classify the types of the projects in terms of features of the project content and the characteristics of the site area. - To establish a guideline for selecting major environmental factors of the project type criteria, and - To provide basic materials for the preparation of complets draft EIS of the Amendment of Environmental Impact Assessment Act.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.204-216
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• 2021

It is important to understand the factors influencing the temporal and spatial variability of water quality in order to establish an effective customized management strategy for contaminated aquatic ecosystems. In this study, the spatial diversity of the 5-year (2015 - 2019) average total phosphorus (TP) concentration observed in 40 Total Maximum Daily Loads unit-basins in the Nakdong River watershed was analyzed using 50 predictive variables of watershed characteristics, climate characteristics, land use characteristics, and soil characteristics. Cross-correlation analysis, a two-stage exhaustive search approach, and Bayesian inference were applied to identify predictors that best matched the time-averaged TP. The predictors that were finally identified included watershed altitude, precipitation in fall, precipitation in winter, residential area, public facilities area, paddy field, soil available phosphate, soil magnesium, soil available silicic acid, and soil potassium. Among them, it was found that the most influential factors for the spatial difference of TP were watershed altitude in watershed characteristics, public facilities area in land use characteristics, and soil available silicic acid in soil characteristics. This means that artificial factors have a great influence on the spatial variability of TP. It is expected that the proposed statistical modeling approach can be applied to the identification of major factors affecting the spatial variability of the temporal average state of various water quality parameters.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.472-481
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• 2012

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the AD (allergic diseases: asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis) prevalence among elementary schoolchildren in an industrial city, Ulsan, and identify major environmental risk factors associated with AD prevalence. Methods: Data on the physician-diagnosed prevalence over the past 12 months and potential risk factors of AD were collected through a questionnaire from a 2009-2010 survey of 4,067 schoolchildren living in different urban environments. The logistic regression analysis was performed to assess differences in AD prevalence among the areas and to determine which environmental factors impacted AD. Results: Our survey results showed that the AD prevalence rate ranged between 26.2% and 35.9%. Children living in polluted areas (near industrial and central urban areas) had about a 10% higher prevalence of AD than did those living in coastal or suburban residences. The Chi-Square test demonstrated that this local difference was statistically significant before and after adjustment of major confounders such as parental AD history and parental education. The results of the logistic regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between several environmental factors (ventilation in winter, odor conditions and exposure to traffic smoke, and outdoor $PM_{10}/O_3$ pollution) and the prevalence of AD found by multivariate model after adjusting confounders. Conclusion: These results suggest that local differences in AD prevalence are significantly associated with outdoor environmental factors. Although there are likely to be other risk factors for AD, living in a polluted area and exposure to high levels of air pollutants can contribute to an increased risk of childhood AD.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2001

This study was to investigate factors of risk perception on major environmental issues among general public and environmental experts in Korea. Structured questionnaire surveys were conducted to samples from general public and environmental experts during March and April, 2000. Total numbers of respondents were 773, general public and 353 experts. Analysis of the data showed that risk perception was correlated with health concern, environmental satisfaction, perception of environmental pollution, interest on the environmental issues, knowledge, experiences, and social-cultural consciousness, and so on. Overall environmental risk perception was affected by knowledge on environmental issues, experience of damage from environmental problems, sex and perception of environmental pollution. According to the results, environmental risk perception is not independent from social and psychological factors, and it may be desirable to consider the related factors in the process of risk communication for a more effective risk management or environmental policy.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.97-105
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• 1998

Recent mass construction of high-rise apartments across the country are questionable whether this housing type is appropriate for Korean families as one of housing alternatives. Therefore, cross-cultural analysis is needed for the evaluation of high-rise apartment living. The purpose of this study is to identify factors related to the evaluation of residential satisfaction, and to examine the differences of satisfaction between Korean and American high-rise resident groups on these factors and personal characteristics. The review of literature and factor analysis identified six important environmental factors. 413 subjects were selected from the major two resident groups in major U.S. cities, and Seoul, Korea. An examination by major factors indicated that five except for neighborhood environmental qualities were significant relationship. It was also found that personal characteristics of these two groups were significantly different. Multiple-regression analysis found that both physical quality of dwelling unit and management/maintenance were important predictors of residential satisfaction.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 2011

In this review, we have provided an overview of the environmental risk factors for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), focusing on the major environmental toxicants related to the disorder. Researchers have indicated that since the characteristics of ADHD are complex, the disorder’s etiology involves multiple genes of moderate effect interacting with environmental factors. The possible roles of prenatal and perinatal exposure have been the main focus of research on environmental risk factors for ADHD. Among environmental toxicants, we reviewed the potential effects on the development of ADHD of exposure to lead, nicotine, alcohol, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and dioxin. Further, for the each neurotoxicant, clinical prevention or intervention strategies aimed at reducing a child’s risk from environmental toxic insults have been presented.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.937-950
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• 2016

Algal blooming in 4 major rivers introduces substantial impacts to water front activity. Concentrations of algae are increasing at major points along the Geum River. Ecosystem food webs can be affected by algal blooming because blue-green algae release toxic materials. Even though there have been many studies on blue-green algae, its causality to environmental factors has not been completely determined yet. This study analyzed the exclusive correlation between various hydrometeorological, water quality, and hydrologic variables and the cell number of cyanobacteria to understand causality of blue-green algae in the Geum River. A prewhitening process was introduced to remove the autocorrelation structure and periodicity, which is useful to evaluate the effective relationship between two time series.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.425-437
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• 2015

Objectives: Risk assessment is a tool for predicting and reducing uncertainty related to the effects of future activities. Probability approaches are the main elements in risk assessment, but confusion about the interpretation and use of assessment factors often undermines the message of the analyses. The aim of this study is to provide a guideline for systematic reduction plans regarding uncertainty in risk assessment. Methods: Articles and reports were collected online using the key words "uncertainty analysis" on risk assessment. Uncertainty analysis was conducted based on reports focusing on procedures for analysis methods by the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). In addition, case studies were performed in order to verify suggested methods qualitatively and quantitatively with exposure data, including measured data on toluene and styrene in residential spaces and multi-use facilities. Results: Based on an analysis of the data on uncertainty, three major factors including scenario, model, and parameters were identified as the main sources of uncertainty, and tiered approaches were determined. In the case study, the risk of toluene and styrene was evaluated and the most influential factors were also determined. Five reduction plans were presented: providing standard guidelines, using reliable exposure factors, possessing quality controls for analysis and scientific expertise, and introducing a peer review system. Conclusion: In this study, we established a method for reducing uncertainty by taking into account the major factors. Also, we showed a method for uncertainty analysis with tiered approaches. However, uncertainties are difficult to define because they are generated by many factors. Therefore, further studies are needed for the development of technical guidelines based on the representative scenario, model, and parameters developed in this study.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.31-40
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• 1992

As the environmental concerns in Korea have shifted gradually from the environmental pollutions to the quality of life (QOL) enhancement, it has become increasingly important to implement comprehensive assessment of environmental quality as possible. This is the major reason to develop Environmental Assessment Index. This study focuses on indices development of factors in Environmental Impact Statement Preparation Regulation. Environment in this regulation is composed of natural environment, life environment and socio-economic environment, and it is composed of 22 factors. EAI(Environmental Assessment Index)studied in this research is integrated by 16 factors. It will contribute to public participation in Environmental Impact Assessment process and environmental policy.