• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.279-290
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• 2012

Plecoglossus altivelis (ayu) is an amphidromous fish widely distributed in Northeastern Asia from the East China Sea to the northern Japanese coastal waters, encompassing the Korean Peninsula within its range. The shore lines of northeastern region in Asia have severely fluctuated following glaciations in the Quaternary. In the present study, we investigate the population genetic structure and historical demographic change of P. altivelis at a population level in East Asia. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) based on 244 mitochondrial control region DNA sequences clearly showed that as the sampling scope extended to a larger geographic area, genetic differentiation began to become significant, particularly among Northeastern populations. A series of hierarchical AMOVA could detect the genetic relationship of three closely located islands between Korea and Japan that might have been tightly connected by the regional Tsushima current. Neutrality and mismatch distribution analyses revealed a strong signature of a recent population expansion of P. altivelis in East Asia, estimated at 126 to 391 thousand years ago during the late Pleistocene. Therefore it suggests that the present population of P. altivelis traces back to its approximate demographic change long before the last glacial maximum. This contrasts our a priori expectation that the most recent glacial event might have the most crucial effect on the present day demography of marine organisms through bottleneck and subsequent increase of effective population size in this region.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.170-176
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• 2012

Genetic diversities, population genetic structures and demographic histories of the thread-sail filefish Stephanolepis cirrhifer were investigated by nucleotide sequencing of 336 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region in 111 individuals collected from six populations in Korean coastal waters. A total of 70 haplotypes were defined by 58 variable nucleotide sites. The neighbor-joining tree of the 70 haplotypes was shallow and did not provide evidence of geographical associations. Expansion of S. cirrhifer populations began approximate 51,000 to 102,000 years before present, correlating with the period of sea level rise since the late Pleistocene glacial maximum. High levels of haplotype diversities ($0.974{\pm}0.029$ to $1.000{\pm}0.076$) and nucleotide diversities (0.014 to 0.019), and low levels of genetic differentiation among populations inferred from pairwise population FST values (-0.007 to 0.107), support an expansion of the S. cirrhifer population. Hierarchical analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed weak but significant genetic structures among three groups ($F_{CT}$ = 0.028, p<0.05), and no genetic variation within groups (0.53%; $F_{SC}$ = 0.005, p = 0.23). These results may help establish appropriate fishery management strategies for stocks of S. cirrhifer and related species.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1048-1052
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• 2011

The Chinese Holstein cattle breed, an introduced breed in China, has been crossbred with native cattle breeds. We hypothesised that the Chinese Holstein local population in Beijing share haplotypes with native Asian cattle breeds, the result of a sudden population expansion in the recent past. We also hypothesised that crossbreeding and population expansion left traces that shaped the genetic makeup of the breed. Evaluation of this was performed by mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis of Chinese Holstein cattle from Beijing (n = 41) and a comparison of them with the published mtDNA sequences (n = 293) of 14 Asian breeds with an emphasis on Chinese native cattle breeds. Three shared common haplotypes between Chinese Holstein cattle and native Asian cattle were found. Moreover, a high level of haplotype diversity in Chinese Holstein cattle (h = 0.9557) and low nucleotide diversity (${\pi}$ = 0.0052) was found, indicating a past population bottleneck followed by rapid population growth. These findings are supported by the significantly negative deviation of Tajima's D (-1.82085), the star-like pattern of dominant haplotypes and the pairwise mismatch distribution analysis, which showed a unimodal pattern.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.111-145
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• 2003

This paper attempts to explore recent socio-demographic changes of the ethnic Korean population in Yanbian autonomous prefecture. Due to rapid decrease in the level of fertility and population ageing, Korean minority society in China has been in a process of profound transition after the introduction of the market economy and establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China. The changes in demographic behaviors and in the structure of population appear to be much faster among Koreans than Hans. Results from the 2000 population census reveal that the Korean population in Yanbian, where ethnic Koreans are most densely populated in China, has been in a decreasing trends in absolute numbers and in its proportion to the total population. The growing tendency of regional mobility for work and for marriage, rapid expansion of residential areas, serious crisis of ethnic schools of Korean community, and weakening social integration and ethnic identification of Koreans in Yanbian are discussed in this study. It is expected that socio-demographic transition of Korean society in Yanbian will be even more drastic over the coming decades. The rapid changes in demographic behaviors and in the structure of population has major consequences and implications for every sphere of human life, and will present enormous challenges for the status of Korean minority society in China. Along with various statistical data on Yanbian, micro-level data as well as published reports from the 1990 Chinese population census for Yanbian and the 2000 Chinese population census are analyzed in this study. In addition to sex ratios and age ratios, various indices are calculated to analyze the characteristics and accuracy of the data from the 1990 and 2000 population censuses of China.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.525-532
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• 2021

Objective: Old World camels are a valuable genetic resource for many countries around the world due to their adaptation to the desert environment. At present, Old World camels have encountered the challenge of unprecedented loss of genetic resources. Through our research, we would reveal the population structure and genetic variation in Old World camel populations, which provides a theoretical basis for understanding the germplasm resources and origin and evolution of different Old World camel populations. Methods: In the present study, we assessed mtDNA control region sequences of 182 individuals from Old World camels to unravel genetic diversity, phylogeography, and demographic dynamics. Results: Thirty-two haplotypes confirmed by 54 polymorphic sites were identified in the 156 sequences, which included 129 domestic and 27 wild Bactrian camels. Meanwhile, 14 haplotypes were defined by 47 polymorphic sites from 26 sequences in the dromedaries. The wild Bactrian camel population showed the lowest haplotype and nucleotide diversity, while the dromedaries investigated had the highest. The phylogenetic analysis suggests that there are several shared haplotypes in different Bactrian camel populations, and that there has been genetic introgression between domestic Bactrian camels and dromedaries. In addition, positive values of Tajima's D and Fu's Fs test demonstrated a decrease in population size and/or balancing selection in the wild Bactrian camel population. In contrast, the negative values of Tajima's D and Fu's Fs test in East Asian Bactrian camel populations explained the demographic expansion and/or positive selection. Conclusion: In summary, we report novel information regarding the genetic diversity, population structure and demographic dynamics of Old World camels. The findings obtained from the present study reveal that abundant genetic diversity occurs in domestic Bactrian camel populations and dromedaries, while there are low levels of haplotype and nucleotide diversity in the wild Bactrian camel population.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1223-1228
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• 2012

The population sizes of three Korean indigenous cattle populations have been drastically reduced over the past decades. In this study, we examined the extent to which reduction in populations influenced genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history using complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences. The complete mtDNA control region was sequenced in 56 individuals from Korean Black (KB), Jeju Black (JEB) and Korean Brindle (BRI) cattle populations. We included 27 mtDNA sequences of Korean Brown (BRO) from the GenBank database. Haplotype diversity estimate for the total population was high (0.870) while nucleotide diversity was low (0.004). The KB showed considerably low nucleotide (${\pi}$ = 0.001) and haplotype (h = 0.368) diversities. Analysis of molecular variance revealed a low level of genetic differentiation but this was highly significant (p<0.001) among the cattle populations. Of the total genetic diversity, 7.6% was attributable to among cattle populations diversity and the rest (92.4%) to differences within populations. The mismatch distribution analysis and neutrality tests revealed that KB population was in genetic equilibrium or decline. Indeed, unless an appropriate breeding management practice is developed, inbreeding and genetic drift will further impoverish genetic diversity of these cattle populations. Rational breed development and conservation strategy is needed to safeguard these cattle population.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.30-34
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• 2018

There are several problems facing our society today that are caused by demographic changes, such as an increase in the ageing population. The rapid increase in the aging population leads to increases in medical costs and a higher demand for care services for the elderly. The needs and burdens associated with elderly care are growing, but the human resources and costs to meet these needs are limited. Welfare technology has been suggested as an effective way to solve the discrepancy between higher welfare needs and limited resources. This study aims to explore the current trends and challenges of using welfare technology related to elderly care through literature review. Practical ways to expand uses of welfare technology are also provided. In order to make effective and practical use of welfare technology, public awareness and education, the cooperation of related organizations, the expansion and utilization of Living Labs, and the development and adoption of welfare technology are required.

• Korea journal of population studies
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.70-97
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• 1995

The main purpose of this paper is to analyze the trend of urbanization and population distribution in North Korea. Although North Korean data lack comparable details, attention has been given to the comparison of urban system between North and South Korea. In North Korea, the pace of urbanization was most rapid just after the Korean War, from 1954 to 1960. However, the pace slowed down markedly in the early 1970s and has remained sluggish since then. North Korea is currently much less urbanized than South Korea. As specific features of urbanization in North Korea, emergence of new cities along inland borders, prominence of intermediate-sized cities, and sudden population growth of major cities due to boundary expansion are stressed. Available demographic data also indicate an overwhelming primacy of Pyongyang Municipality in the urban system, and rapid growth of satellite cities in the west-central region. It appears that, in North Korea, urbanization process has been a product of the government's development policies rather than individual's socioeconomic motivation to migrate urbanward. Finally, migration issues after unification of the Korean Peninsula and related problems are discussed in this study.

• ALGAE
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.123-133
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• 2022

Genetic diversity and distribution patterns of marine macroalgae are increasingly being documented in Southeast Asia. These studies show that there can be significant levels of genetic diversity and isolation between populations on either side of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. Bostrychia tenellla is a common filamentous red seaweed in the region and the entity is represented by at least two cryptic species. Despite being highly diverse and widespread, genetic variation and population structure of this species complex remains understudied, especially around the Thai-Malay Peninsula. We analyzed genetic diversity and inferred the phylogeographic pattern of specimens identified as B. tenella using the plastid RuBisCo spacer from samples from the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Our genetic analysis confirmed the occurrence of the two cryptic B. tenella species (B and C) along both coasts. Cryptic species B was more common in the area and displayed higher genetic diversity than species C. Historical demographic analyses indicated a stable population for species B, but more recent population expansion for species C. Our analyses also revealed that both cryptic species from the Andaman Sea possessed higher genetic diversity than those of the Gulf of Thailand. We also detected moderate to high levels of gene flow and weak phylogeographic structure of cryptic species B between the two coasts. In contrast, phylogeographic analysis showed genetic differences between populations of both cryptic species within the Andaman Sea. Overall, these results suggest that cryptic B. tenella species around Thai-Malay Peninsula may have undergone different demography histories, and their patterns of genetic diversity and phylogeography were likely caused by geological history and regional sea surface current circulation in the area.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.14-26
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• 2013

The $1^{st}$ National Plan for Aging Society with Low Fertility, which the Korean government announced in 2006, caused the gradual increase of R&D investment in order to prepare for an aging society in Korea. This study explores if the directions and strategies of R&D projects related to aging are suitable to improve the quality of life for elderly people and establish a sustainable aging society by analyzing the features of R&D investment from 2004 to 2010. The results show that most R&D projects conducted by departments focus on the development of assistive devices for the elderly to support everyday lives. The Korean government's R&D policy to prepare for an aging society is based on the narrow interpretation of Quality of Life (QoL) in an aging society that tries to resolve the socioeconomic problems of the elderly; however, the policies have ignored the independence of active elderly individuals and the social integration of the young and elderly generations. The research shows that a paradigm shift is required from a 'Senior' to 'Aging Society' because almost 1/3 of the Korean population is over 65 years old and the expansion of the research embraces from assistive technologies for the elderly to the design of social infrastructure such as transportation, education and work.